Other Halves ::and other tales::
by Iellix
Summary: A series of cute/sweet/poignant/funny/somewhat dramatic and very LONG one-shot fics all dealing with all the KH cast in Traverse. Couples: C/A, S/K, L/Y, and R/Z. Final story uploaded! Genres: romance/comedy/drama/little adult humor in there, too.
1. Other Halves

A slightly AU fic that takes places in Traverse after "Thirty Paces." The only thing that makes it AU is the appearance of Kairi, and also, Zephyr is present.

Summary: Zephyr has been acting very strange lately, and Aerith and Yuffie want to find out _why_. Meanwhile, Riku, Sora, and Kairi have arrived in Traverse Town and Riku is still getting over the fact that Kairi has chosen Sora, not him. Yuffie is mad at Leon and is having troubled thoughts about him, resulting in a near emotional breakdown. Riku has attained a skittish admirer—and in the midst of all the chaos, Cloud and Aerith are trying _everything_ to get a few minutes _alone._

Features our favorite couples—Cloud/Aerith, Leon/Yuffie, and Sora/Kairi, along with a tiny little bit of Riku/OC, just so he won't feel left out—and also humor that makes sense, and poignant thoughts that _also_ make sense. Long fic, but _definitely_ worth the read, if I do say so myself. 

Zephyr is guilty of an MS trait, of being paired with one of the regulars (Riku) but she likes him first before he notices her, and she has a damn hard time dealing with it—just to make it even.

I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Squaresoft does. But if you would like to give me the copyrights to it for my birthday (which is in August) then I'll gladly except!

                                                                                                  ~*~

"It's been a week running that she's been like that," Yuffie referred to the small, slip of a girl slumping around the town and throwing stones at the pigeons. "She's never been perky, but now it's like her batteries are dead." She crunched on an ice cube from her drink.

          "I know. It's so unlike her," Aerith, being concerned about everyone, had taken interest in Zephyr's sudden state of depression. The girl had been extraordinarily irritable lately. Things got on her nerves that didn't before and she spent more time hiding in the Secret Waterway, on the rooftops, in Cid's shop, and goodness knew what other holes she had found to hide in.

          "Whatcha think it is? Think she's sick?" She crunched on another ice cube. "Or is it somethin' else? I'd ask her, but she prob'ly wouldn't tell me. You know how she is—she never tells anyone _anything_ unless it's a matter of life and death or unless she benefits from it somehow." She turned to Aerith. "Why don't _you_ go try and talk to 'er? Yer good with people like that. Maybe she'll talk to you," she suggested.

          _"Me?"_ Aerith opened her eyes wide. She watched the sullen girl climb up and sit on the roof of the building across from the café. "I guess I could—if you'll come with me."

          "Why?"

          "Because she likes you. I don't know what she thinks of me, and I don't want to take that kind of a chance."

          "Don't be silly. She likes you. Just shows it diff'rnt than most people do. She's like Leon's long lost baby sister."

          "I heard that about me," Zephyr looked at them. She could hear a lot of things people said from far away. It was a talent that got her into trouble quite often. Usually whenever people compared her to Leon, with whom she did _not_ get along with, she would find whoever had done so and try to throttle them. This time, however, she stayed atop the roof.

          "Well, since you're there and you can hear us," Aerith began. "What's been up with you lately? Are you feeling all right?" From here, she could see the younger girl turn and look at them.

          "What's it to ya?" She asked.

          "We're just worried about you is all," Yuffie said. Zephyr glared down at them, although the effect was lost because she was so far away. Her glare got colder when she saw Cloud walking up behind Aerith, wrapping an arm around her. She nearly jumped a foot as she turned to see who it was.

          "Don't _do_ that!" She told him with one hand over her heart to see if it was still beating. He leaned and whispered something in her ear, and she nodded, getting up and walking with him, leaving Yuffie alone at the table watching Zephyr on the roof. The young girl wore a deadly glare, which the ninja didn't see.

          "Hey, Zephyr! Where're you—" she called after her, but she had already leaped onto another roof and out of sight. "—going?" Yuffie sighed heavily and went into an alley where she sat against a wall and threw a ball, catching it when it bounced off the opposite wall. Leon joined her not long after.

          "Hey, Squall."

          "Leon." He sat down next to her. She bounced the ball off of the wall and towards him. He caught it and bounced it back to her. They did this for a few minutes. Yuffie spoke.

          "Hey, have you noticed Zephyr acting… weird lately?"

          "You mean _besides_ the leaping on rooftops and growling at people and using uncharacteristically long words for a fifteen-year-old?" He asked, sounding a little sarcastic.

          "Yea, I mean besides all 'a that," she said. "I mean, like… weird even for _her."_

          Leon thought about that for a moment. Then he shrugged. "I guess she has. I dunno, I try and keep as far away from her as possible." He paused. "But now that you mention it, it's been five whole days since she argued with me about something." He smirked. "Not like her to pass up any opportunity to make me look stupid."

          "She's missed meals, too," Yuffie continued. "She never misses any. 'Til recently." She sighed. "I'm worried 'bout her. I hope she's not sick or anything."

          "I doubt she is," Leon said. "She never gets sick. She's immune to everything." Noticing the serious look on Yuffie's face, he sighed. "Well, if you're so concerned, why doncha juss go talk to her?"

          "This is Zephyr we're talking about. You're twin sister. Would _you_ tell anyone if _you_ were depressed all of a sudden?" When he didn't answer, she leaned back against the wall, satisfied. "I rest my case." After a while, she leaned her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. She was off in a daze until a loud hiss brought her back into reality. She looked up, in the direction that it had come from.

          Zephyr stood, leaning over one of the buildings on one side of the alleyway. She had a cold glare in her eyes. She hissed again, growled, and disappeared onto the roof. They both heard her running and she took a long leap to the other building, which was a little lower than the one she was on before. She stared murderously at the pair of them down on the ground. On instinct, Leon stood and drew the Gunblade.

          That seemed to snap Zephyr back into her normal state, and she got down on her belly and hung her arms and head over the edge, watching them. "You put that thing down or I'm gonna take it and ram it down your throat," she said, extremely calm, but with her reputation, she would most likely find a way to come through with that threat.

          "Hey, what's been up with you?" Yuffie asked as Leon lifted her up off the ground. This caused the younger girl to go cold again. She turned away, refusing to answer. "Zephyr?" Yuffie asked. She got a hiss for a reply.

          "Leave 'er," Leon said, taking her by the hand. "C'mon, let's go home—" he meant the hotel "—and leave The Bitch to herself. She's obviously got herself in a twist again." He didn't like Zephyr at all, though he had learned to admire her talent with words, but he was usually the victim of it.

          Yuffie took one last glance at the rooftop that hid Zephyr from view, and then followed Leon. Zephyr watched them leave, careful not to be seen. Tears stung her eyes, but she shook her head violently and trotted off on all fours.

          A surprise was waiting for them at the hotel—both shocking _and_ pleasant. Sora had arrived, in the company of two others: one was a girl with short auburn hair and dark indigo eyes; the other was a slightly older boy with long silver hair and light aquamarine eyes. Also present in the hotel lobby were Cid, Aerith, and Cloud.

          "Sora!" Yuffie immediately jumped up and hugged the boy, causing him to drop the Keyblade that he held with one hand.

          "Yuffie," he rasped. "I can't breathe."

          "Sorry." She let him go and stepped back. She recognized Kairi from several months ago when she had been staying with them in Traverse Town while Sora sorted out the last of the Heartless, though how she was back was anyone's guess. The third, the silver-haired one, was a new face, but everyone assumed that it was Riku. They didn't have long to wait until Sora told them.

          "You guys know Kairi. This is Riku." Riku nodded, not saying anything. Sora frowned suddenly. "Zephyr's missing," he said. "I thought it felt a lot safer around here."

          "Oh, stop that!" Yuffie huffed. "You guys all act like she's a helldemon. She's not so bad!" Aerith nodded, but everyone else seemed edgy. Even Cid, her employer, had troubles with her, but only because she was impossible and she kept getting the best of him. "Pansies," she muttered.

          "Who's Zephyr?" Kairi asked. Sora looked at her, remembering that Kairi had not been there when Zephyr had shown up about a month after Kingdom Hearts.

          "Another girl. Short. Black hair. Gray eyes. Growls a lot. Whatever you do, run when you see her," he warned them. Even Riku looked nervous now.

          _"For goodness sake!"_ Yuffie yelled. "She's not that bad! You exaggerate so much!" She crossed her arms and stamped, glaring at Sora. When she turned away, Sora leaned in to speak quietly to his companions.

          "An' she's contaminated Yuffie's mind. I still say run when you see 'er."

          "Oooh, yer in so much trouble when I tell her you said that," Yuffie said, grinning widely. Sora's face turned into one of fear.

          "You wouldn't," he said.

          "Wanna bet?"

          "Leave the kid alone before he gives himself a coronary," Cid leaned on the wall, mouth in a tight line, but his eyes showed amusement. "Zephyr's a handful, but she's not so bad."

          "Said the man who has never been victimized," Leon muttered under his breath. Yuffie swatted him.

          "G'on, you guys, this isn't a place for large meeting," Cloud said. He and Aerith had been in the hotel lobby for not five minutes before Cid brought Sora, Riku, and Kairi in. Both had been disgruntled, but they put up with it. Now they wanted their privacy back. "G'on, scat!" He all but shoved them out of the building. Aerith began walking out as well, but Cloud hooked one hand into the collar of her dress. "Not you."

          Everyone had left, and Cloud leaned her on the door and slipped one arm around her waist; she circled her arms around his neck. He kissed her softly on the lips, but she pulled him back. Someone whistled—Yuffie was looking in through the other set of doors.

          "Get outta here!" He yelled, briefly forgetting how close he was to Aerith. She winced and he looked down at her. "Sorry," he whispered apologetically. He kissed her neck, trailing up to her cheek, then her lips.

          On the outside, Zephyr had also been watching. Now she charged headfirst at the door, doing little to it, only bumping Aerith a little on the inside, but she hurt herself quite a bit in the process. She stumbled, regaining her feet after giving herself quite a bash on the head.

          "The ground keeps tilting!" She yelled, one hand on the top of her head where she had smashed it into the door. Everyone was still near enough to the hotel to have seen what she had done, and everyone who had known her before was clearly shocked. She had been known to do stupid things, but nothing so openly ridiculous.

          Yuffie went to go see if she was all right. Leon took her arm. "Leave 'er. She's fine."

          She looked up at him. "You're terrible!" She spat. She wrenched her arm away and trotted over to see if Zephyr was all right—she was relatively weak and didn't absorb very much shock. "You all right?"

          "Yea, I'm juss fine," she snapped back. She shook her head and brushed her hair from her eyes with her hands, then looked up at Yuffie. "Sora's here, isn't he? Who's with 'im?"

          "He found his friends," Yuffie explained, looking down at Zephyr to see if she could spot a mark. "Ya sure yer okay?"

          "Positive."

          Yuffie shrugged. "Why doncha go over an' talk to Sora? Or at least introduce yerself to Kairi and Riku."

          "Who?"

          "His friends. And no tormenting him! _Any_ of them!" She went back to Leon. He kissed her forehead and whispered something to her. That got Zephyr again, and she scrambled up onto the roof of the hotel, making her way over to the direction that Sora had gone—back near the Dalmatian's house—to spy.

          Everyone seemed to have attained a mate. Since their last meeting, even Sora had found one. As he walked alongside Kairi, his free hand, the one not holding the Keyblade, was twined with hers. Zephyr resisted the urge to hiss loudly and instead just watched them. But she couldn't clearly see Riku from where she was. She had to turn a little and climb onto another part of the roof to see.

          When she finally _did_ get a glimpse of him, she shut down completely, still gripping the drainpipe, but staring at him. She'd never seen anyone like him before. Ever. She could have stared for as long as he was there. Unfortunately, the drainpipe had other ideas. Light as she was, it couldn't hold her up and broke. She yelped and fell, grabbing at a stone ledge ten feet over the ground. She'd drawn their attention.

          "What the—?" Sora swiped his Keyblade, holding it in both hands. He looked around for the enemy, thinking that something terrible had followed him. "I'm not scared 'a you! Come out!"

          "Fer one thing, yer terrified of me," Zephyr said, voice even. "And fer another—stop swingin' that thing around or else I'll break it into little bits and feed it to you intravenously."

          "Inter—_what?"_ Sora asked, lowering the Keyblade and scratching the back of his head. He looked for her, but she was well hidden in the shadows. "C'mon, at least get where I can see you."

          "Intravenously. It means through your veins." She moved to a lighter spot but she was still not clearly visible. "Lookie what the cat dragged in. Have fun while you were gone?"

          "No more than you did." He glared at her.

          "What the hell is that?" Riku whispered.

          "Zephyr. Run while you still can," he whispered in an even lower voice.

          "I heard that, kiddo," she snapped, jumping deftly to another ledge, this one about eight feet over the ground. "Watch yer mouth or you'll get yerself in trouble."

          "Hey, don't call me 'kiddo'! At least I come up past the doorknobs!"

          A loud growl sounded, echoing off of the walls. Zephyr took one leap and landed on one knee about three yards away from them. She straightened. "You may be bigger'n I am, an' I may not be all that strong, but everything in this town from the five-foot mark down is _mine!"_ She hissed at him.

          "She has quite a temper, doesn't she?" Kairi asked, starting to inch behind Sora. He kept a hand on her—almost like protecting her.

          "You dunno the half of it," he whispered behind himself to her.

          Riku seemed curious. He walked toward her, and she took a step back. This shocked Sora to the point where his mouth dropped open. In a confrontation like this, she would normally wait until the opponent was within the reach of her jaws and snap down on them. Riku took another step forward, and she took two steps back.

          "What's—" he began, but Zephyr took off, on top of the roofs, and out of sight and earshot. He raised his eyebrows and turned to his friend. "What was _that _all about?"

          "I 'ave absolutely no idea. Yer the only person she's ever run from." He sighed. "Dalmatians' house is this way. C'mon, wait'll you see how many there are."

          "You said ninety-nine puppies," Kairi told him.

          "Yea. Plus their parents."

          "A hundred and one?"

          "A hundred and one." He pushed the doors open and was promptly climbed on by half a dozen black spotted puppies. A few more came and he fell with a thud onto the floor. "Good to see you, too," he said sarcastically, picking dogs up off of his lap.

          "This dun look like ninety-nine," Riku said.

          "There's way more rooms. Go see fer yerself." Sora stood up before puppies could claim his legs again. Riku opened the door to the dining room, finding more puppies. [A/N: I think it's the dining room, but I dunno, because I haven't played in a while because my bitch brother is hogging the PS2.]

          "Wow," Kairi breathed. She looked around at all the puppies, some yipping at each other, some wresting, some sleeping, and some curiously inspecting the new visitor. "You rescued them?"

          "Yep." He cleared a space on a sofa for her to sit. He sat next to her.

          _"All_ of them?"

          "Uh-huh."

          "That musta been hard to do," she said, then grinned widely. "Most guys would only save one puppy. You got ninety-nine!" She giggled and rested her head on his shoulder. He tilted her face to look at him with one gloved hand.

          "God, Kairi… I missed you. I thought—" he swallowed. "I thought I would never find you again."

          "But you did." She kissed him. When she pulled away and saw the shocked look on his face, she blushed fiercely. But Sora kissed her, and they stayed there, arms around one another.

          Riku had left the door open a fraction and was looking in. He sighed heavily, but quietly, and sat back against the wall with one of the puppies in his lap. He scratched it behind the ears, eyes stinging. He refused to cry.

"I think I figured out why Zephyr is so _weird_ lately," Aerith told Yuffie as they sat together in the Red Room. Leon and Cloud had disappeared somewhere, leaving them to their own devices, but neither minded.

          "Oh?" Yuffie perked up. "How come? An' how'd ya find out?" She leaned toward her friend as Aerith sat down at the table in the center of the room.

          "It was sort of obvious. It's weird that we hadn't noticed it before," she said to no one in particular. "It's a bit strange, too." She shrugged.

          "So what is it? Come on, tell me!" Yuffie was out of her chair and leaned completely over the table in anticipation. She was truly worried about the small girl's well-being, as she considered her to be a dear friend, despite the sometimes overwhelming evidence to the contrary.

          "Well… first off, what do we know about Zephyr? You remember anything about her when she first came? It was a while ago, so you might not," she started.

          "Well… I remember that Cloud found her behind the café, scrounging in the garbage for food. And then… then she came to and she told us her name, but I don't really remember any details." She frowned. "What's that have to do with anything?"

          "No, you don't get it," Aerith said, head in her hands. "When Cloud found her, she'd gotten hit pretty hard in the head. When she came to, all she remembered was her name. She took a while until she remembered how old she was, but other than that, she couldn't remember anything."

          "Oh, yea," Yuffie whispered. "I remember that, now. So what's that got to do with anything?"

          "I'm getting to it! Now, you know how she's always mad, it seems, even at us, but only mad at _us_ when you're with Leon and I'm with Cloud. When I'm with you or, or it's just Cloud, or we're by ourselves with her, she's just like usual." She paused and lowered her voice. "She's _jealous_ of us."

          Yuffie was taken back completely, shocked. "What? Why would she be jealous?"

          "Because… she doesn't have anyone."

          "She has us," Yuffie protested. Aerith shook her head.

          "That's not the same… she has us, and we're her friends, but she doesn't have anyone from her life before she came here," she said softly. "We have memories of Hollow Bastion, and of our old lives, and we have each other, but she's all alone. She doesn't have _anyone."_ She looked out the window. Off in the distance, they could see Zephyr on her back on a roof, staring at the night sky, into the stars.

          "Never thought 'a that," the ninja said. "Wow. What d'you think it's like? Not having anyone? Not even memories to revisit or someone to talk to who understands where yer coming from."

          "I know. She must feel like she's just—there. Like she has no reason to be here, no purpose. What must it be like to have… _nothing?"_ The Flower Girl looked out the window, intent on the small figure on the roof. "She has no one to love. You've got Leon, and I've got Cloud, but she doesn't have someone to love." 

          Yuffie tilted her head to the side, deep in thought about something. "That's why she's so much like Leon."

          "Hm?" Aerith looked away from the window.

          "Zephyr is so much like Leon it's almost scary. And I think it's because, when Leon came to Hollow Bastion, all _he_ had were his memories, so he was cold to everyone. Only Zephyr has it worse. She can't even cry over memories cuz she hasn't _got_ any."

          "The thing I think she wants the most is someone to love. She doesn't seem like it at first, and it took me a while to see it, too, but she _wants_ to love someone, but she's scared, and confused, and she doesn't know what to do." She traced a pattern in the wood of the table with her fingertip.

          "So that's why she's always so—wild—when she sees us with Cloud or Leon?"

          "That would be my guess."

          Yuffie sighed and put her chin in on hand, resting her elbow on the table. "Think we should try 'n help 'er?" She asked.

          "How?" Aerith asked, confused, but alert and listening.

          "Find someone for her?" She half asked, half suggested. Aerith nodded slowly.

          "Play matchmaker, then?" A grin slowly crept across her face. "Normally I would say that's a bad idea. Even _now_ I think it's a bad idea. But I think she's going to lose her mind if something doesn't happen—and soon." Her look changed suddenly to one of concern and a little edgy. "Oh, no."

          "What?"

          "Sora."

          "What about him?"

          "Didn't you see him with Kairi?" Aerith asked her. Yuffie fitted the pieces together herself.

          "Not good," she mumbled. "He ain't gonna know what hit 'im." After a pause, she added, "Or maybe he'll have a rough idea that it was Zephyr." She passed her hands through her hair. She stopped midway and froze, thinking of something. "Riku."

          "What?"

          "Riku!" Yuffie smiled widely. "We could see how she gets along with Riku. He seems like her type."

          "You mean sturdy?" Aerith said, meaning it entirely, but still knowing that what she said was funny. "Muscular? Practically armor-plated?" She shrugged. "We could try. I don't see how it would hurt. She might try to nip at him, but the only person she'd ever actually hurt is Leon. No offense," she quickly reassured Yuffie.

          "None taken." She rubbed her hands together. "So, should we get started?" She stood up, then plunked herself back down in her chair. "Exactly _how_ do we play Cupid?"

          "First thing we have to do is track down both parties," Aerith said.

          "Ah, well…" Yuffie paused. "Easier said than done. Riku'll be easy to track down. All we gotta do is ask Sora where 'e is. But Zephyr is a little bit harder to find." She sighed. "We used to be able to find her _real_ quick just by standing in a doorway and yelling, 'Dinner!' but now it isn't so easy, since she hasn't come for meals in a few days. She's been living on scraps." She frowned. "This has to be the worst case of lovesickness ever recorded—and she doesn't even have a target!"

          "I know. We're providing her with a target. Whether or not she wants to hit it is entirely up to her, however." Aerith got up and opened the door to the hotel lobby. "After we find where they are, we have to figure out how to get them in the same place, alone."

          "Another easier-said-than-done case," Yuffie said as she entered the lobby area.

          _"Tell_ me about it," Aerith said under her breath, remembering how much effort she and Cloud usually had to go through to get half an hour alone together. She realized what she had said and blushed.

          Despite what they had originally thought, Zephyr was the first they found. They walked into Cid's shop and found her sitting on the counter and leaning against the wall, mostly hidden by the cupboard on the wall near the door. She had her knees drawn up to her chest, hugging her legs around her shins and gently rocking back and forth. She had obviously been there for longer than they thought, because she appeared to be getting very sleepy.

          "H'lo," she said through her knees. "Cid's not around. He went to go talk to Sora 'bout his ship. Wan' me to tell 'im you were here?" She offered. There were tear tracks in the dirt and dust that had caked itself onto her face over the course of the day—a hazard from working with boxes of Gummi parts and even bigger boxes full of old accessories.

          Someone came in from upstairs and walked to the trapdoor. It proved to be Riku and Leon. Leon descended the ladder first, saw who was on the counter and put his forehead to one of the rungs on the ladder.

          "I just can't shake you, can I?" He asked her.

          Zephyr lifted her head just enough so that he mouth was uncovered. "Nope, not possible. I'm a qualified pain-in-the-ass, remember? That's my job—to get underfoot."

          "Pulling two jobs at yer age," Leon muttered under his breath. Riku began going down the ladder.

          "Who's pulling two jobs—oh, it's you. Hello," he jumped down to the floor and looked at Zephyr, who was getting steadily more nervous, but hiding it quite well.

          "Thanks ever so for the wisecracks, Sweetheart," she told Leon, voice dripping sarcasm.

          He didn't even bother to stop rifling through the cupboards looking for something to drink and a glass to put it in. "Yer welcome, Precious," he said, voice equally dry. "Little bitch," he said quietly, under his breath.

          "Heard that."

          He glared at her. Riku crossed his arms. "Come on, how bad can she be? She doesn't look that harmful to me." He looked again at Zephyr, who avoided meeting his gaze at all costs.

          "Appearances are deceiving," Leon told him. He found a glass, but frowned at it. "Hey, this glass is cracked."

          Zephyr couldn't pass this up. "So're you, but no one's complaining." [A/N: Actual line of dialogue that went on in my house one night at dinner—my brother had a cracked glass, and I said exactly what I made Zephyr say. My parents didn't even say anything about it—they were too busy laughing.] She got up off the counter and walked out of the shop.

          "You see?" Leon slammed the glass down on the counter. "I told you she was horrible!" He looked at his companions. They were laughing hysterically. "That wasn't funny."

          "Yes—it was—" Yuffie gasped. She collapsed on the floor in a fit of hysterics. He glared at her but said nothing.

          "She's always like that?" Riku asked once he had recovered his wind.

          "Yep. Pretty much. She's smart—it's about all she's got, besides her roof-climbing an' her bite. She's not real strong, can't take a hit, and can't walk and chew gum at the same time without landing herself in the hospital somehow. So her mind is about all she's good for—I'll give 'er that, and that's it." He sighed. "Obnoxious fifteen-year-old."

          "No, she can't be any older than thirteen," Riku said, a look of disbelief on his face.

          "Nope, she's fifteen all right. Could be older, cuz we don't know when her birthday is," Yuffie had recovered herself enough to talk. At the look on his face, she said, "Yea, I know, hard to believe, ain't? But she's a short fifteen-year-old."

          "Weird," Riku said, shaking his head. He exited the shop through the front doors, and Aerith left, as well. Leon and Yuffie were alone, and Yuffie wore a vicious scowl. She gave him a good shove.

          "You're horrible!" She told him. "I know you hate Zephyr and she hates you, but you don't have to say things like that about her! She can't help it that she doesn't have much strength; so don't say anything about it! She never rubs _your_ weaknesses in behind _your_ back, and she has _plenty_ of opportunities to do it!" She crossed her arms and sat up on the counter, still glaring at him.

          "I'm—Yuffie, I'm sorry. She got on my nerves. I just—" he sighed, rubbing his temples. However much he hated Zephyr, Yuffie still liked the girl, and he couldn't say anything about her in front of her. "I'm sorry," he said again, going to put an arm around her. She scooted away as though his arm had turned into some less desirable object—like a snake. "Yuffie." He sighed again when she inched even further away, and then left her there, feeling a good deal more than frustrated.

          In the Second District, Riku had found entertainment in throwing stones at pigeons. He was slumping around, his heart heavy. Sora had broken both him and King Mickey free of Kingdom Hearts, and some time after that they had stumbled upon Kairi. He had been overjoyed to have her back, but his hopes about her were smashed when he realized who she had chosen—she'd chosen Sora over him.

          At first he had been angry at Sora for taking her from him, but then he realized that he'd never really "had" her in the first place. They were friends, yes—good ones. And he knew that she loved him, but it was friendship, nothing more. Her heart belonged to Sora. After he realized that, he'd turned from angry to depressed. Melancholy. It took months for him to accept the fact that Kairi loved _Sora,_ and not him. Even so, it left a bruise on his heart that was still tender.

          Being in Traverse wasn't so bad, though. Kind of a nice place to his standards—dark, cool, and mysterious. Sora had said that it was never daytime there. To reasons even unknown to himself, Riku liked the dark rather than daytime.

          But part of Traverse made him feel awkward, as though he didn't fit in. It wasn't the fact that everyone there knew everyone else and that he was a new face. It was that everyone seemed to have found their "other half," and he was still just… Riku. Everyone, that was, except for Zephyr. The way everyone talked about her, he suspected that no one ever _wanted_ her. Understandably so—no one wants a girlfriend that's going to growl and bite.

          In a sudden, random burst of anger, he hurtled a stone so hard that it actually hit a bird. It squeaked, trying to fly, but a broken wing stopped it from doing so. It waddled off to find a safe place to hide. Too late: a cat had found it. Riku turned away. There was some scuffling and high-pitched noises, and then silence. He looked back, seeing a dark patch on the ground and a few bloodstained down and contour feathers. He winced.

          Since there were no more pigeons to throw stones at, and no stones left the throw even if there _were,_ he wandered off again, aimless. He found a door and opened it to go into the room, only to hear a woman gasp, and something fall to the ground. He backed up abruptly.

          "What—who's in here?" He asked, not seeing anything in the pitch dark. He groped for a light switch, but there was none. A light went on overhead; Cloud and Aerith stood at the other end of the room.

          "Shouldn't _we_ be asking that?" Cloud snapped. He had shed his cape a while ago, and stood in front of Aerith, who was shakily and hastily trying to refasten the buttons on the front of her dress.

          "Sorry," Riku said hurriedly, and left the room. Cloud picked up his cape and put the other arm around Aerith. She'd misbuttoned her dress and had to start over.

          "Irritating jackasses," he growled, meaning Riku and everyone else who had haphazardly walked in on them in increasingly more intimate situations.

          "Cloud!" She looked up at him. He lowered his lips to hers, and rebuttoning her dress was forgotten as she twined her arms around his neck. Cloud dropped his cape on the floor again and used that hand to trail down her back and rest on her hip. A thought came to her mind and she pulled away.

          "What?" He asked softly, looking for any sign that he'd done something stupid. But there was a lusty look in her eyes as she spoke.

          "Shouldn't we find somewhere to hide before we're walked in on again?" She whispered, though she had no idea _why_ she was whispering. Cloud gave her his answer simply by pulling her even closer with one arm and groping for the light switch with the other. Neither of them heard nor saw the door open again.

          "If yer trying to get her through the wall by process of osmosis, I'll tell you now, it's not gonna work. Juss use the door, it's safer," a familiar, sarcastic voice said behind them it its' dry humor. It was instantly recognizable as Zephyr's. Cloud slammed on the lights and looked at her with an equally malicious look as she was giving them.

          "Dammit, girl, what're you _doing_ in here?" He hissed, now refastening his _own_ shirt as, behind him, Aerith was doing the same after pulling her dress back onto her shoulders.

          "I'd ask you the same, but it's perfectly evidenced," she said simply. Aerith noticed her voice waver some as she spoke. "I suggest a room with only _one_ door, and a titanium deadbolt lock." Heedlessly, she walked past them through the opposite door and left. Cloud made a fist, as though he was going to hit the girl, but Aerith planted both her hands on his chest and pushed hard, although she couldn't have stopped him if he truly wanted to do it.

          "Don't!" She whispered. He looked down at her and smiled a little, unclenching his fist and running his hand through her hair.

          "She's an obnoxious bitch, but I'd never hurt her." He smirked. "I could never kick that poor little puppy of a person."

          "Heard that!" Came Zephyr's muffled voice from the other side of the door. "And thanks… I think."

Yuffie had lost her normal perkiness. She'd been sitting at a table at the café for some time, head in her arms, sighing and sobbing. She didn't know why she was so emotional all of a sudden. It was probably Leon and his mixed signals—not unlike a confused traffic light.

          She thought back to everything he said and did. He tolerated people, but didn't _like_ many. He liked Cloud, mainly because he was another swordsman. Aerith he put up with, too, because no one could possibly hate her, or even _not_ like her; he didn't mind Cid, either, simply because the older man was quiet and a little like him. He even tolerated Sora, and his tolerance for the boy had gotten greater of late because his maturity level had risen significantly. Just about everyone else that he came across, though, Leon wouldn't put up with. _Especially_ Zephyr.

          At first, Yuffie had thought that it was only because she was so young, just as was she—and Leon had eventually tolerated _her,_ and grown to love her. But he never got used to Zephyr. What was worse was that he was so mean to her. He was cold to _everyone_ else. Anyone who wasn't Cid, Aerith, Cloud, Sora, or herself fell victim to his worst of attitudes.

          She wiped her eyes on her scarf and sniffed. Part of her still hated him for being mean to her in Hollow Bastion and for being such an ass all the time. When they had fought together in the Pegasus Cup, he had muttered about doing most of the work, and that stung. She'd done the best she could, and she couldn't _help_ it that she was smaller than he was!

          She still hated him for being cold and distant and being so picky about his name—why didn't he just use his real name? A name couldn't change the past or take it away or mask it. He'd been nasty to her when they met, but somehow, she'd developed a schoolgirl crush on him within the first week. He'd been the cause of many a heartache.

          So why did she love him?

          Months and months after their first meeting—nearly a year—they had long since confessed to one another that they loved each other. He'd sometimes do _anything_ for her, no matter how ridiculous. He handled her as though she was a kitten—with the greatest care. When he kissed her… another part of her couldn't imagine hating him, didn't _want_ to hate him—_couldn't_ hate him.

          She began plucking the petals off of a flower from a vase on the table, whispering as she did so, "I hate him. I love him. I hate him. I love him." She got down to the last petal. "I love him. I hate him," she whispered as she plucked the last petal. But the last petal had had another petal under it, making it like a two-in-one. She sighed and let the stem drop. "So I love him and I hate him." A knot formed in her throat and she began to choke again, feeling tears fall. She went back to the hotel to see if he was there, though she didn't know what she would do if he were. Yell at him, most likely.

          Unfortunately, he wasn't in the lobby when she walked in, and he wasn't in their room, either. Something was on her pillow. She picked it up: a white rose with its' thorns sheared off… and a note. She opened the note and read it.

_"Yuffie,_

_I know you're angry. I'm sorry I said what I did—it's been eating away at my brain since it happened. The room is yours tonight—I'm sleeping in the Accessory Shop on a couch, but being that near Zephyr could be dangerous for me. I don't blame you if you're still mad._

_          Squall"_

          Yuffie wet her lips. He must've been drunk or just not thinking when he wrote it—he'd signed it "Squall" instead of "Leon." She looked again at the rose, running her fingers along the waxy petals. If her feelings weren't mixed up before, they certainly were _now._ She slowly lay down, still holding the rose. She felt tears coming and she didn't stop them. She looked out the window and whispered, _"Why_ do I love him?" Soon after, she fell into an uneasy sleep.

          Riku had taken the hint and left Sora and Kairi to one room. He would find another for himself… somewhere. He knew that there was an empty room over the Accessory Shop—maybe he could sleep there. If the doors were open. He tried the front doors first, finding them to be open. Inside, Leon slept on a couch, thought he didn't fit very well. Cid was finishing packing up. He looked at the silver-haired teen.

          "Didja need somethin'?" Cid asked.

          "Um… kinda," he said back.

          "Whatcha need?"

          "The room over your shop," Riku said plainly. "Can I sleep there for the night? Only for tonight, though. Just until I can find another place to stay."

          Cid looked up at the ceiling as if he was trying to look through it to the Item Synthesis Shop. "Fine by me, but you might have a little trouble with Zephyr," he warned. "She stays up there at night an' she's real territorial. But if you ask and she likes you, she'll prob'ly let ya stay." He pulled the trapdoor open and pulled the ladder down.

          Riku climbed into the darkened room, hearing someone stir. The only light came from the window, and he could vaguely make out a silhouette of a person. Evidently a _terrified_ person, because he or she immediately bolted out the back door at his entry.

          "Well…" he whispered to himself. "That was weird." He hit his legs on one of the low countertops, finding it to have been cleaned off, and with a blanket and pillow on it. He balanced himself on the wooden surface and fell asleep.

          Outside, Zephyr panted from being startled so badly. She'd seen who it was and bolted for the door. She had no idea why she was so terrified of him. No, she knew. She just wished that she could deal with it better than running from it. She knew that running was no way to deal with problems. But she, like all humans, still had animal instincts—to run from what she didn't understand and what scared her.

          She made her way to the Dalmatians' house, where she could sleep on a couch and be surrounded by puppies. She loved the dogs, but the only reason she didn't stay in that house instead of the Item Synthesis Shop was because it was too far away from Cid's shop. And also because it got a little crowded. On her way, she smacked into Kairi and fell down because she was the lighter of the two.

          "Kairi! What happened?" Sora had seen his love stumble backward on the impact. He saw Zephyr straightening and brushing her clothes off. She looked at Kairi, who, in turn, stared back at her. They were a pair of ridiculous opposites—Kairi with short auburn hair and dark indigo eyes, wearing a short skirt and a midriff shirt; Zephyr with _long_ black hair and stormcloud-gray eyes, covered head to toe in clothes that were far too big for her.

          They looked each other up and down, each clearly baffled by the other. Finally, they asked, in the perfect unison of a Greek chorus, "How're you _dressed_ like that?" Kairi giggled at the situation. Zephyr raised her eyebrows.

          "Come on, Kairi," Sora circled his arm around her waist. "Lets go. 'Fore she decides to bite."

          "You were suckin' his lips off," Zephyr accused Kairi. The other girl turned around and stared at her, shocked at her wording.

          "What makes you say that?" She asked in her own defense.

          "Cuz he's wearin' _your_ lipgloss. And if kissing isn't the explanation, then he'd better have a _real_ good one." Without waiting for an answer, she pushed her way into the Dalmatians' house and was bombarded by dogs. Sora was wiping his mouth. Zephyr had been telling to truth.

          "Lets go," he said to Kairi, arms still looped around her. She put her hand over his and walked with him to the hotel where they were able to get a room.

          Aerith watched them go into their room, thinking how cute they looked together. She leaned on her shoulder on the wall near her own door and sighed, smiling. Cloud came behind her and kissed her neck. She jumped and turned, heart pounding. She hooked one arm over his shoulder and put the other hand over her own heart.

          "Don't _do_ that!" She whispered. "You scared me half to death!"

          Instead of saying something back, he put one arm under her legs and scooped her up into his arms. "I'll make it up to you," he whispered softly as he carried her into their room and kicked the door shut.

          It was very early morning, and Yuffie had slept on and off for the past several hours. Now she couldn't grab sleep. It was just not coming. With a sigh, she rolled out of bed and slipped her shoes on. Her fingers had still been curled around the white rose. Now she put it back onto her pillow and slipped out of the hotel. She took a trip back into the heart of the Second District. She found someone sitting on a bench, watching two Dalmatian puppies play.

          "You couldn't sleep, either, huh?" She said as she sat next to Zephyr. Without looking up, the girl shook her head.

          "Insomnia. What's yer excuse?" She asked.

          Yuffie paused before she answered, "Thinking too much. 'Bout Leon." She sighed and watched the dogs play. "I hate him," she said. Surprised, Zephyr looked up at her. Without meeting her gaze, Yuffie began to explain. "I _hate_ him. He's a jackass. A bastard." She sighed and put her face in her hands.

          "Not gonna argue with ya there," Zephyr said.

          "Your vote of confidence is overwhelming," she said dryly.

          "It's true. He _is_ terrible. Mean to almost everyone but you. He's a bandit. A pirate."

          "Yea. And he's always insulting you behind yer back."

          "I know he is," she said with a shrug.

          "You do? Then why don't you say anything about it?" The older girl asked.

          "Cuz I don't want to. It dun bother me at all. Like water off a duck's back. That fact alone, though, is pretty depressing. Your Leon is an ass."

          "I know. He's such a jackass. Even short-tempered with _me_ sometimes." She swallowed the lump in her throat and sighed. "So why do I love him?" She barely whispered.

          "Does it matter?" Zephyr asked. The ninja looked up.

          "I—I don't know. Does it?" She was confused, but the younger girl _did_ have a point. She stared off into the sky. "But Cloud's—"

          "Stop right there," Zephyr told her. Yuffie looked at her. This time their gazes met.

          "What?"

          "Big mistake, sweetheart," she said. "Comparing him to Cloud. He's _not_ Cloud, and he's _not_ Sora, just as _you_ aren't Aerith or Kairi. He's Leon. And you're Yuffie. Kairi and Sora have a nauseatingly sweet relationship. Aerith and Cloud are perfectly harmonic. You and Leon have a few bumps and potholes in your road. It doesn't mean anything bad. It's just… you."

          Yuffie was impressed. "Fer someone your age, yer pretty savvy." She still gave a heavy sigh.

          "Point is—who _knows_ why you love yer bastard? Who fucking _cares?_ All that matters is that you love him, he loves you, and you're happy. Do you love him?"

          "Yes," she whispered.

          "So what else matters?" Zephyr had tears on her own face now. She put an arm over Yuffie's shoulders. "Look, Yuffie—I got hit so hard that even _now_ there's days that I wake up an' don't remember my own name. But I do know this—don't throw away what you have. So you love the pirate. So what? Put your flag back up on the mast before it's too late. Even if the ship _is_ rotten and half-sunk. Who knows—you could be the one to turn him around, make him act a little more human."

          Yuffie stayed silent for a long time. Zephyr wondered if she had fallen asleep. She was thinking hard about what she'd said. Despite bumps and fights and arguments, she loved Leon. And he wasn't the person to fake emotions, so he must have truly loved her back. He was a jerk. And a pirate. But she loved him anyway. "If you weren't another girl, I would kiss you," she told her friend. Instead she hugged her tightly and sped off in search on Leon. She made a mental note to repay Zephyr, as she was still being depressed. She'd seen the girl start to cry as she spoke.

          She ran back into the First District and headed for Cid's shop. There was no risk of him, or really anyone else, seeing her. Not that she cared. She went for the doors, prepared to break them down if they were locked, but she found she could pull them open. She hit the lights as she shut the door behind her.

          _"Ack! _Turn that light off!" Leon was sitting up on the couch. He had obviously been awake for some time, thinking, but he had been in the dark. He peered up through squinted eyes to see who had walked in. When he saw her standing there, his eyes opened all the way. "Yuffie—what's… what are you doing here?"

          She strode over to him, face blank, eyes hard. She stopped directly in front of him and crossed her arms over her chest. He looked up at her, uncertain as to what to say. He didn't have to worry for long. Yuffie launched herself at him and kissed him, knocking him completely off balance and falling backward. She wouldn't get off of him. When she took her mouth from his, he sat up a little bit.

          "So you aren't mad at me any more?" He whispered. Instead of answering, she kissed him again, holding his shirt collar in one hand and the back of his hair in the other. He had both arms around her waist, pulling her close.

          "I love you," she whispered when she pulled away from him. "Even though you've done some pretty nasty things to people… it's just the way you are."

          He shifted so that she was sitting in his lap. "You were pretty mad at me before… didja sleep it off?"

          "Nah. Couldn't sleep." She kissed his cheek. "Zephyr," was all she said.

          Leon was about to say something, but stopped himself. His mind went back to several months ago, after they were released from Cid's shop after being trapped in it for over a day, surrounded by snipers. The snipers had been shot and had surrendered.

          _"You can't be serious about helping them!" Aerith said._

_          "They were firing on us fer a day an' a half—why don't we juss _leave_ 'em out there?" He spat._

          "Because," Zephyr made her way to the doors, carrying potions, bandages, and blankets. "That would be totally barbaric."

          Zephyr was like him in that she never let anyone get close to her. There was a lot that she refused to tell anyone. She was cold and distant and violent with words, just as he was violent with a blade. She was a weakling and had no weapon skills. She was easily hurt and quick to anger. But she wasn't truly a demon. She wasn't vicious. _No one_ was truly vicious. Some people just chose to mask themselves beneath it because it covered the most.

          "What's the matter?" Yuffie asked him. He blinked and brought himself out of his thoughts. "You zoned out."

          "Kinda," he said. He kept his thoughts of Zephyr to himself as he nuzzled her neck. He had a different opinion of her now—still didn't like her, but he didn't hate her as he did a few minutes ago.

"Girl-child, _what_ has been the _matter_ with you lately?" Cid demanded of Zephyr as she worked in silence. She didn't answer him and pretended not to have heard. "That ain't gonna work with me, girly," he said. "I know you kin hear me. Talk."

          "Nothing," she whispered. She wanted to talk as little as possible to keep the lump in her throat down. From where she sat now, she could look out the window and see Riku, but he couldn't see her. She watched him intently, like a hawk might watch its' prey. The lump got bigger and she clenched her teeth to keep herself from crying.

          "I know yer lyin', but I won' ask ya any more questions. You'll tell me if ya want to." He left her there to her work, and she looked away from the window. She could look at Riku, half for fear of crying, and half for fear that he might see her.

          She went back to work, struggling with one particularly stubborn bracelet that didn't want to get clean. She was running out of steam from not eating in several days. She'd run across Kairi and Sora kissing in the Third District, and all she could manage was a low hiss before her stomach lurched. She heard the door open and she looked up—Riku had walked in. Panic took over and she shot out the door in the blink of an eye, running down the roads, skidding to a stop, taking a turn, and running on, plowing over Yuffie in the process. She hadn't lost a hair's worth of speed and kept going.

          "Whoa. What's the matter with her?" Yuffie asked Aerith as she got to her feet and dusted herself off. "The only other time she ran that fast was when she found a giant spider in her room!"

          "I know. Maybe Cid knows. She came shooting out of his shop—see, the doors are still swinging." Aerith pointed. Curious, she and Yuffie walked in to see what was up.

          "Hey, Cid," Yuffie said as she walked in. "Oh, hi. Riku." She noticed Riku sitting on the ground, inspecting the accessories that Zephyr had been cleaning before she decided to make a run for it. "Hey Cid, what was up with Zephyr? She came runnin' outta here like she saw that spider again."

          Cid shrugged, just as confused as she and Aerith were. "I 'ave no idea. She was fine—well, as fine as she's _been_ for the last week—'til _he_ walked in." He jerked a thumb towards Riku. "Then she took off. Only other time I saw 'er _that_ scared was when she found that spider upstairs. Almost broke 'er neck when she fell down the ladder." He smirked a little at the memory.

          Aerith smiled slowly. Then she started to giggle helplessly. Yuffie, Cid, and Riku all looked at her as she sat down.

          "Care to share with the class?" Yuffie asked.

          "It's Riku!" Aerith said, sounding extremely happy for some reason.

          "Huh? What'd I do?" Riku stood up, looking nervous.

          "Nothing, nothing—it's okay, you aren't in trouble," Aerith reassured him. "It's—she's run from you every time, and I know why!"

          "So spill!" Yuffie said. "Don't leave us hangin'!"

          "She _likes_ him!"

          Openly confused, Riku gaped. "She _what?"_

          "She likes you!"

          Now Yuffie could see it. Zephyr was skittish around people. She was confused with her feelings and Riku hadn't helped. She fell for him and she had no idea what to do about it. "I get it. She's so nervous she'd probably faint if she couldn't run."

          "Wait a sec—isn't she the one everyone's scared of?" Riku asked with a tinge of fear in his voice.

          "She's not so bad. She's only dangerous if she doesn't like you," Yuffie took him by the hand. "C'mon, we gotta go catch her."

          "Oh, no you don't," Aerith said. She took Yuffie's other hand. "He can go on his own if he wants to. But it's best we don't do anything that could upset her."

          Riku stayed silent for a time. Then he turned and left the shop in search of Zephyr, though he had never gotten a clear view of her face before, so he didn't really know what he was looking for. He didn't have far to go, though. There was skittering of small feet on the stone ground, as someone moved quickly; then there was a loud crash of wood. He ran in that direction and ended up in an alley littered with crates. A few were broken.

          He looked around for a sign of a person, but found none. "Weird," he said.

          "I know I am."

          He looked up. Perched on top of a high mountain of crates sat Zephyr, looking slightly more comfortable than she had before. She was on her belly, looking over the side and down at him.

          "How'd you get up there?" He asked.

          "I climbed the wall. And jumped," she said simply. She watched him carefully, eyes and face expressionless, but heart pounding faster and harder. Blood rushed in her ears.

          "How come you haven't run yet?"

          "Cuz I'm safe up here. You can't get up," she retorted. He left her field of vision. Curious, she looked to see where he had gone. She got to the last side of the crates and was shocked to find him slowly making his way up the side. She backed up as he got onto the surface.

          "You were saying?" He asked smugly when he had gotten himself seated. She narrowed her eyes, but didn't run. The only escape now was to jump to the ground, and that would be _extremely_ dangerous.

          "Yer good," she told him. After a while, she said quietly, "You dun have to be here if you don't want to. I know why you came. Aerith ain't too good with secrets."

          "You heard that?" Riku asked, astonished.

          "Yup. I hear a lotta stuff. Gets me in trouble, but it's provided me with enough blackmail to have me living comfortably for the rest 'a my _life."_ She glanced sidelong at him, feeling butterflies form in her stomach.

          "So if you heard…" to her surprise, he blushed.

          "What? Yer embarrassed that you found out I like you? You'd 'a found out eventually. Nothing stays secret fer long here."

          He got a good look at her, now. She was small, dwarfed even more by her clothes. Black hair fell to her waist; slightly mad gray eyes watched the ground. Cute, he decided. Like a puppy. A _rabid_ puppy… she was speaking again.

          "Kinda awkward here fer me. Everyone else 'cept fer me found their 'other half,' and I'm still trying to get my _own_ half together. A hard thing to do with the constant reminders that I'm still… alone." She snorted and swished away tears.

          "If it helps, I sorta know how you feel," Riku offered. He took hold of her hand. She turned scarlet.

          "Are you seeing what _I'm_ seeing?" Yuffie whispered to Aerith as they watched Zephyr and Riku from a distance.

          "I can _see_ it, but I don't know if I _believe_ it," she said, equally shocked. Leon was walking past and saw them kneeling on the ground, peering around a corner.

          "What're you _doing?"_ He asked. When neither answered, he looked where they did. His mouth popped open. "That isn't _Zephyr,_ is it?"

          "It sure is," Yuffie said without looking away. Their awestruck state had attracted Sora and Kairi, as well. Sora took one look at Riku and Zephyr and rubbed his eyes, not believing what he saw.

          "Izzat—? No. Can't be. Can it?" He was confused. "Holy shit, Riku tamed the friggen shrew!" He stared, openmouthed. "This is _too_ weird. To the point where it's _scary."_ He shivered. Zephyr rubbed against Riku's shoulder, as a cat might rub up against someone. It was completely uncharacteristic for her to show such affection—they had thought she simply _couldn't_ show affection.

          Leon pulled Yuffie back towards him and wrapped his arms around her from behind. She sighed and leaned into him, eyes closed. Sora and Kairi walked off together, hand in hand.

          Aerith stood in time to see Cloud coming toward them. "I've been looking all over for you," he told her.

          "Why—" she began, but he didn't let her finish. He bent her back and kissed her with no regard at all for the others standing around them. When he let her upright again, she stayed close to him, whispering, "Cloud, people are staring…"

          "Let 'em look," he said. "Even if we hid, someone would find us." He pulled her back to him.

          Up in the alley, Riku glanced at Sora and Kairi walking past. He felt weird, sitting up here with Zephyr while there was still a tender spot on his heart from Kairi choosing Sora over him—especially since he really didn't know Zephyr all that well. Then he realized that they were being watched. He nudged her. "Y'know, they've been watching us."

          "Yea, I know. I dun care. They know better than to tease me about it. An' if they did, I'd get even." She smirked. "I'm good at that."

                                                                                                  ~*~

Whoa. _Reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeal _long one-shot fic! I thought it was cute, though. Geez, twenty pages. Over ten-thousand words. Anyone guess how long it took to write? Four days.

So whatcha think? Too bad they don't have a genre called "Poignant." But they don't, so I'll make do without it. Please review. I don't want my efforts to have been in vain! This is _twenty pages!_ So please review and make me a happy puppy!                        


	2. Song: I Will Always Return

Hilo, 'tis me. This isn't an actual chapter—not really. But it makes little sense to put it one its' own, so I'll post it here since this is the only fic I have written that deals with several couples. (And because adding another chapter is the only way I can see all of my reviews at this point, and I'm impatient so I dun wanna wait.)

This is just a song that I found that reminds me of the whole Kingdom Hearts thing. It belongs to Bryan Adams and comes from the "Spirit" soundtrack, an' I like the song, and it fits. So _there._

I think I have established the fact that I do not own Kingdom Hearts. Nor do I own this song, "I Will Always Return." I swiped it off 'a the "Spirit" soundtrack. So don't sue me. I'm broke, an' can't pay it—unless you want a few nickels.

Enough blathering from the VL. I'm really not this chatty in real life. I mean it. Honest.

                                                                                                  ~*~

I hear the wind

Call my name

A sound that leads me home again,

It sparks up the fire,

A flame that still burns—

To you, I will always return

I know the road is long,

But where you are is home.

Wherever you stay,

I'll find the way.

I'll run like the river,

I'll follow the sun,

I'll fly like an eagle

To where I belong—

I can't stand the distance,

I can't dream alone,

I can't wait to see you—

Yes, I'm on my way home.

And now I know it's true,

My every road leads to you

And in the hour of darkness,

Your light gets me through.

You run like the river

You shine like the sun

You fly like an eagle

Yea, you are the one.

I've seen every sunset,

And with all that I've learned—

Oh, it's to you

I will always—

Always

Return…

                                                                                                  ~*~

Cute song. ^_^ Cuter movie. Even _cuter_ fic—admit it! Well… anyway. Yea, please review. This whole thing was _way_ spur-of-the-moment.  


	3. When the Past Comes to Life

All right, so it's _not_ just a one-shot fic. I can't make _anything_ just one chapter, can I? Nope, din' think so. All right, this is complicated, the way I'm doing this whole fic, so listen up:

This isn't an actual chaptered fic—it's gonna be a series of long one-shots with the same theme, dealing with the same people, just at different times with different plots. It just saves space to make it all in one like this. Of course, I can separate 'em if it gets too complicated or confusing.

Oh yea, and I think I owe you an explanation for my strange typing in my dialogue. The explanation is simple: I type how I talk. And I talk like an uncultured swine. But hey, dass just how I am. *shrug*

Summary: Now a little less dangerous of a person from having Riku about, Zephyr is having problems with her own mind—a frightening thing for someone who's so intelligent. We learn of her past and what brought her to Traverse as memories slowly piece themselves back together. She doesn't want it, but without warning, her past comes together and she remembers who she is.

Focuses more on Zephyr than anyone else—because this story is about her past and stuff. Next one I write won't deal with her so much. Will probably be Leon/Yuffie.

Still involves our favorite couples, with more of Riku/Zephyr than last time, though still not enough to make it fluffy. Or even fuzzy. Just slightly softer than concrete. (Like my analogies? You do, admit it.) In fact, I dun even think she's gonna kiss 'im. I haven't decided yet.

I am not going to put a disclaimer. I'm running out of insults for those who actually still _need_ one. And coming from me, that's saying _quite_ a lot.

~~~ = flashback, or a dream, as the case may be.

                                                                                                  ~*~

"Zephyr!" The name echoed off the walls as Riku yelled it out. "Zephyr!" Still no answer. He narrowed his eyes. Either she was ignoring him, playing hard-to-find (her version of hard-to-get), or she had disappeared again. He gave up and ran back into the First District. A light was on in the Item Synthesis Shop, where he knew Zephyr stayed. Maybe she was there now. He ran up and threw the doors open—something squealed.

          "What the hell?" He looked behind the door and knelt on the floor, picking up the little creature that had fallen over. He'd slammed the door open on a Moogle. "Hey, are you okay?"

          It sprang up in his arms and shook, like a wet dog trying to dry its' fur. It glared at him, but said nothing. It went back to work on its' items—whatever it was doing to them. Riku made his way into the room a little more—

          —and fell right down the trapdoor. He landed with a loud thud on the wooden floor of the Accessory Shop. He stood quickly and brushed himself off. He heard someone laughing and blushed. At least it wasn't Zephyr.

          "Are you all right?" Aerith asked him. Behind her, Yuffie was looking at the ground and sniggering. With the colder weather, everyone had adjusted their clothing accordingly. Aerith had donned a heavier dress; Yuffie had traded her shorts and halter-top for long jeans and a zip-up sweatshirt. Riku had had to borrow clothes, as he didn't own anything suitable for colder weather, having lived on a tropical island his whole life.

          "Yea, I'm fine. Either 'a you seen Zephyr anywhere? I've been lookin' fer her but I can't find 'er."

          "Didja check the kitchen in the café? She goes there to see if she can get free food sometimes," Yuffie told him.

          "Tried it."

          "Waterway?"

          "Tried it."

          "Obviously not upstairs—"

          "Obviously," he muttered.

          "What about rooftops? She spends _lotsa_ time up there." The ninja paused. "'Course, if she's asleep, then you'll prob'ly hafta wait a _long_ time to get 'er back. That girl can sleep through _anything."_

          Riku sighed. "That bad?"

          "Lemmie put it this way—the building across from here caught fire one night, there was a _huge_ mess about it, a _lot_ of noise, and she didn't know about it 'til the next morning." Yuffie said plainly. [A/N: Another excerpt from my life; only the house across the street didn't catch fire—there was a drug raid. Dogs. Sirens. Police. Yelling men. Screaming women. I didn't find out 'til the next morning. I'm not kidding. My dad says he could probably drive a truck through my bedroom while I was asleep, and I wouldn't notice.]

          He wore an openmouthed stare. "An' I thought _Sora_ was a heavy sleeper."

          "You can try looking for her again," Aerith suggested. "All we used to have to do was stand here and yell, 'Dinner!' and she would be here in a few seconds."

          "Why doesn't she do it anymore?"

          "Dunno," Yuffie slid off the counter and headed for the door. "Ask 'er once ya find 'er." She held the door open for him. He walked out, and she also started to go out the door.

          "Hey, Yuffie, where are you off to?" Aerith asked. She turned.

          "I'm gonna go find Squall. He's in the Waterway, I bet. I wish he wouldn't spend s'damn much time down in there when it's this cold—he'll get sick." She sighed. "Catch ya later." The doors swung shut behind her.

          Aerith sat in her place for a minute before leaning over the counter. "You can come out now. They're gone."

          With a grunt, a spiky blonde-haired man squirmed out from his hiding place. He sat on the floor with his head his hands. "There's _gotta_ be an easier way to do this," he grumbled. He looked up at her as she leaned over the counter. She kissed his forehead.

          "I doubt there is. Or else we just haven't the time to find it."

          He took hold of the front of her dress and pulled her over the countertop. She squeaked and landed on top of him.

          A cold wind blew outside as Yuffie made her way into the Secret Waterway, where Leon usually trained. He was already a good swordsman—she didn't understand why he had to practice even _more._ She stumbled along the slightly damp stones. If it got any colder, they would freeze and become very dangerous, as would the Waterway. She'd have to keep Leon from going into it for a while, or else he could get hurt badly. Easier _said_ than done.

          She got to the Waterway entrance and, whimpering, stepped into the water. Her teeth chattered—the water was frigid. She sloshed in it, up to her knees, and eventually up to her waist, in the water, going numb. She mentally threatened Leon that if he wasn't in here, and she had gone through all of this for nothing, she'd kill him.

          "Yuffie?" Leon called, voice echoing in the cavern. "That you?"

          "Yes, it is. Gimmie a hand here, my legs've gone numb," she begged. "Please."

          He dropped the Gunblade and ran over the rocks to help her up. She was easy to hoist out of the water—she was a lightweight. He had to keep one arm around her to keep her from falling over because she hadn't regained control of her legs.

          "Geez, Squall, how d'you _do_ this?" She demanded through chattering teeth. "That water is _freezing!"_ She curled her arms around herself and shivered. He took off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. Leon had traded his t-shirt for a thick long-sleeved one—even so, she doubted it was enough to keep him warm. "Thanks," she whispered, breath forming small clouds in the air.

          "No problem."

          "Why're you always down here? It's so cold." She asked him as he picked the Gunblade back up. She thought that he would go back to fighting with no one, but he tucked the weapon back into his belt. He lifted her up and swung her up onto his back. "What—?"

          "Yer too cold to walk back out," he said. "Numb from the waist down." Her jeans were still wet, making his shirt damp at the bottom. She snuggled as close to him as she could get, trying to get warm.

          "How could you tell?" She asked, touching one cold cheek to the back of his neck. He winced as she did so.

          "Because you were shivering and yer legs weren't. You've gotta changed outta those clothes once we're back in the room," he told her.

          "Mm-kay," she murmured softly, leaning on his shoulder. The air got warm as Leon walked into the hotel lobby and to the door to the Green Room. He supported her with one arm and used his free hand to push the door open and brought her in. He kicked the door shut and let her slide to the ground. Her jeans were stiff from being wet.

          Without saying anything, she scrounged up some dry clothes and changed in the bathroom. She only owned a few pairs of long jeans—and she had already lent a pair to Kairi, because she didn't _own_ anything that came past her knees. If this weather went on like this, they were going to have to start borrowing clothes from Zephyr.

          Shivering, she wrapped herself in a blanket when she left the bathroom. Outside, the wind began to get stronger, howling past the windowpanes. Yuffie watched bits of papers and other things blow by.

          "I hate the cold," she muttered. "Hate it with a passion." She stared out the window, as if intent on making the wind stop by mindpower. It didn't work. "How're always down in the Waterway? Pretty soon the water's gonna be frozen, but not hard enough to walk on."

          He shrugged. "It doesn't bother me."

          "You could get sick, y'know," she told him. "Please don' go there so much 'til it warms back up, kay? Please?"

          Leon sighed and leaned back against the wall, arms crossed.

          "Please, Leon?" She begged. "You spend all _day_ in there, an' I'm not goin' in there anymore cuz it's just _too_ cold fer me to be walking up to my waist in ice water."

          He looked over in her direction. She was giving him the Puppy Eyes again. It worked, and he sighed, walking over to her. "You win."

          "Good," she said, and stood on her toes to kiss his cheek. She frowned suddenly.

          "What?" He asked.

          "Either I have to grow a few inches, or else stand on an incline," she said flatly, referring to the difference in their height. A few inches didn't seem like much, but it was more troublesome than it seemed.

          "But this works, too," he said, lifting her up with one arms under her legs and the other across her lower back.

          "If I din' know better, I'd say you enjoy carrying me around like a kitten."

          "Who said I didn't?" He kept his voice low; Yuffie blushed.

          Kairi walked beside Sora, recoiling from the cold wind. Even though she had borrowed warmer clothes, she was still cold from the wind. Her nose and cheeks stung from being whipped with cold air; teeth chattered. Sora, too, had had to change his clothes, only, to his great embarrassment, he had to borrow from Zephyr, since she was the only one who had clothes that would fit him. Even so, they were a little big on _him—_and he was bigger than she was.

          "Is it always cold like this around here?" She asked him through her shivers. She got as close to him as she could without letting him trip over her, using him for warmth.

          Sora draped his arm over her shoulders. "Not so far as I know. But then, I 'aven't been here all that often. Still, it's ever as warm like it was back—home." He swallowed. Kairi looked up at him. Even now, thoughts of Destiny Islands haunted them—all three of them. They wondered if they'd be able to get back, although Riku's recent attraction to Zephyr would probably complicate things further.

          She seemed to know what he was thinking and kissed his cheek. He smiled down at her affectionately. Their relationship had been referred to recently as "sickeningly sweet," a term that they had no idea who started, but most likely originated with Leon or Zephyr, as they were the only two people who thought that way about such things. Cid wasn't one to kick puppies, despite the appearance to the contrary.

          "Sora?"

          "Hm?"

          "We're gonna be here for a while, aren't we?"

          Her question took him by surprise, and he stopped walking. Kairi walked into him and stumbled. He caught her. "Well—yea, I guess we are," he answered. "Why?"

          Kairi looked at the ground, then back up at him. "Everyone here's so—mean. No one talks all that much. Well… Yuffie does. Aerith isn't so bad about it, either, but everyone here doesn't like me."

          "Kairi," he whispered. He clenched his eyes shut and looked at the sky. The moon had reduced itself to nothing more than a sliver—a waxing sliver. "If yer talkin' about Leon or Zephyr, don't mind _them._ Zephyr's a shrew, and Leon's just—Leon. Whatever that is. No one's ever found out."

          She shook her head. "No, I mean, no one even really talks all that much." She kicked a stone. "I dunno, maybe I'm just being stupid about it."

          "No, you aren't," he was quick to reassure. "It's just the way people are around here. It's a gloomy place. The direct opposite of Destiny Islands."

          She looked into his face and smiled—just barely. "I guess yer right." Grinning, she ran off, calling back, "Race you to the café!"

          "Hey, no fair! You got a head start!" He yelled, running after her. He could hear her laughing as she went—just like home.

~~~

She watched a small, dark-haired girl riding a Welsh pony as though she was born to ride. The black pony wore no saddle, only a rope bridle. The girl leaned forward, intent on chasing chickens about the yard.

          Suddenly, her head was filled with names—strange ones, that didn't make any sense to her. Mayblossom Britannia. Hollow Drum. Lady Dragonfly. Moonriver. Lady Luck. Pretty Lady. Roman Holiday. Sunbeam…

          Where did they come from? What did they mean?

          She turned back to the girl, still chasing frantic hens on ponyback. The scene seemed so familiar, only watching it from another angle. Someone began calling to the little girl—and also to her, it seemed.

          "Baby sister! Where are you? Dinner's ready! Come back inside, baby sister. Come on, Zephyr…"

          Zephyr…

          Zephyr…

          Zephyr…

~~~

"Zephyr!"

          The dream dissolved. She lurched awake with a gasp, almost braining herself on a ledge. She looked around; she was wedged in a concave niche in someone's roof. She shook the sleep from her head and looked down, seeing a head of silver hair on the ground below where she sat.

          Even as she stared, the details of the dream, as few as there were, slipped away, until all she was left with was a frustratingly vague general theme, and the image of the pony, mane flowing, tail fluttering, and the cackling of hens on the ground. She groaned and felt like crying, though she didn't know why. She had never cried before—why start now?

          "I'm up here," she called down to Riku. He stood back a few feet and looked up at her. The effort strained his neck—she was nearly twenty feet off the ground and perfectly at home with it.

          "Been lookin' all over fer you, Zephyr!" He said. "Come down, yer makin' my neck hurt." She looked down at him, and he was unable to make out her facial expression, but she rarely wore one, anyway. Deft as a squirrel, she leaped down, going back and forth between two buildings to get to the ground. She misjudged the sturdiness of one window shutter and it snapped on her impact, sending her tumbling.

          It became a race to see who could catch her first—Riku, or the ground. The ground won, though she had twisted and moved so that she landed on her knee, and fell over. She pushed herself up on her hands and looked up to where she had fallen from.

          "Zephyr! My God, are you okay?" Riku got down to the ground to help her. She was still looking up, but looked reasonably unharmed. "Hello?" He snapped his fingers.

          "I think I broke someone's shutters," she said absently, still looking up. The remainder of said window shutter crashed to the ground a few feet away. "Yep." She rubbed the knee that had hit the ground first, muttering under her breath. Riku frowned at her.

          "Girl, you juss fell ten feet off a building and into a stone alley, an' all you kin think about is property damage?" He sighed. Zephyr had one finger curled tightly and was biting on it to prevent herself from laughing. "What's so funny?"

          "I'm juss thinkin' that if yer hair wasn't already that color, you could see all the gray hairs I've been givin' you," she said. She laughed again as he looked at a strand of his own hair.

          "What? Where?" He heard her laughing and glared. "Funny."

          "Honestly, yer more vain than any peacock." She put her hand forward when he got up. He took it and pulled her up, once again shocked at how light she was. Even for her size, she was light. It made him wonder if she was fed properly. She winced—she must've hurt something from that fall. She didn't absorb shock very well, but he knew better than to ask. She would only get angry.

          "Hey, Zephyr."

          "Hey what?"

          He raised his eyebrows at her.

          "What?" She asked. "I'm listening."

          "How'd you get here? No one's told me. They say they don't know. Did you just never tell them, or what?" She didn't say anything, and he looked in her direction. She was looking away from him and he knew he had struck a tender spot. "I'm sorry," he said quickly. "I din' mean to—"

          "It's okay, you din' know," she whispered, shifting her gaze to the ground as they walked. "I don't remember anything. At all. I hardly even remember the first few days I was here, cuz they said I'd had a pretty hard smash on the head. They're prob'ly right. There's a scar right under here—" she pointed to a spot just below the back of her hairline. "I din' hardly know my name. Or my age. It hit me suddenly an' I knew how old I was… but beyond that, I dunno a thing." She sighed.

          Riku looked down at her. She was a little less than a head shorter than he was, but she was usually balanced on a crate, a wall, a building, or whatever else she could find to climb on. She reminded him, in a way, of Kairi—just the fact that she appeared mysteriously, and had no idea where she came from; knew only her name and age, although Kairi had remembered her birthdate, as well.

          "Nothing?" He asked. "Don't things come to you in dreams? Little pieces?"

          She nodded. "They make no sense, and I lose the details so fast—whatever I see ends up so blurry. People without faces, and voices without sounds. It seems ridiculous, but that's what it is." She paused. "You woke me from one. I'm glad you did—I don't want any more frustration. I can't take it." She passed a hand over her eyes, wiping tears away.

          It hurt listening to her speak. She could put emotions and feelings into words well enough so that they transferred to other people successfully. Hesitantly, he took her hand, and she gripped his tightly. She would normally wrench herself away, afraid of showing emotion, but now she didn't care so much.

          Out of nowhere, she tripped and tumbled to her knees. There was nothing on the ground for her to trip on. She was laughing despite herself as she pushed herself into standing position. Her knees hurt and gave a little.

          "How're you laughing?" He asked, helping her to stand right. "You confuse me. Up on rooftops you could rival a squirrel, but once yer down here, yer at the mercy of friction and gravity."

          "I dunno, my gift I guess," she said jokingly. "Really, friction and gravity are my two archenemies. From what I can remember, we don't have a really good past together." She fell silent again. Mentioning memories that she no longer had choked her.

          Their walk went on in silence for a while; Zephyr shuffled her feet on the ground as she walked. Winds picked up again, causing Riku to shiver. She looked up at him.

          "Maybe we should get inside somewhere," she suggested.

          "Are you cold?" He asked, trying to stop himself from visibly shaking. To be shown as weaker than Zephyr in any area would be a damage to his dignity—what little of it he had left.

          "No, not really. I can deal, but you'll prob'ly catch pneumonia. You've lived on an island your whole life," she reminded him as he was about to protest. "Yer not used to cold. I am. Dunno why, just am. So, before you catch yer death in pneumonia or something equally pleasant." She looked up, hair blowing around her waist. The stars and moon had been hidden by threateningly dark clouds. "Cold enough out here for snow, too… c'mon, lets get inside 'fore the clouds open up."

          Just like everyone else, they sought refuge in the café, where the kitchen's ovens heated the entire building, and the owner would treat them to hot chocolate if they walked in from outside looking like half-frozen puppies. They let a blast of cold air along with the beginning of some snow flurries into the café as they went in. Aerith and Cloud were sitting at a table, and turned to see who had walked in; Leon sat on a bar stool, and Yuffie up on the bar next to him.

          The door burst open, and Sora and Kairi came stampeding in. Sora stopped short, but still smashed into Zephyr from behind, sending her sprawling. She looked up and growled at him. Instead of launching herself at him like she usually would, she settled with hissing and sitting on a far table. Cid came out of the kitchen, showing that the entire group was once again crowded into one space. At least it was a bigger space than Cid's shop, and they weren't surrounded by snipers.

          "Look what the cat dragged in," he said around his toothpick. "Three frozen islanders and a frozen shrew." He nodded in Zephyr's direction, showing that he meant no disrespect. But, as it had been put before, insults to her were like water off a duck's back.

          "I'm not cold," she said. "They are." She shrugged. "I feel perfectly fine."

          "Yer nuts," Leon said.

          "I am not!" She spat. "Psychotic, perhaps, but not nuts!"

          "Not again," Yuffie groaned, putting her head in her hands.

          "Same thing," Leon told the small girl.

          "No, it's not. Psychotic is a medical condition. Nuts is just… nuts."

          "Yes it is."

          "Is not."

          "Yes it is."

          "Don't argue with me."

          "Why?" He smirked.

          Zephyr fumed slightly. "D'you wanna find snakes in undesirable places again?" She hissed at him. He immediately winced and turned away from her. The last thing he wanted were snakes in his bed, or in his bathroom. Again.

          Cloud whispered something to Aerith, and she leaned her head on his shoulder. It was rare to find two people so in love, and so in harmony. It was like a faerie tale princess and brave knight.

          Outside, the snow had started to fall, sticking to the ground and to the windows. It had turned from flurries to a steady snowfall, swirling and dancing in the wind. Zephyr watched it, and something sparked a brief memory.

~~~

Snow fell in light flakes, even though there were not so many clouds. It was a sun blizzard. Beneath her seat, the powerful muscles of a horse flexed as the animal cantered into the wind. Her fingers were tangled in the brown mane; snow blew into her face; the only sounds were the rushing of wind in her ears and the drumming of hoofbeats on the frozen ground. She lifted her face to the sky, leaned forward, and closed her eyes, letting the wind blow through her hair. She let go of the mane and held her arms out to the sides like wings. It was total freedom—it was like flying.

~~~

Zephyr snapped back into the café, back in Traverse town. What was that? It was so real. She could still feel the bite of the cold on her cheeks and nose, still feel the horses' muscles under her, hear the hoofbeats pounding… nothing else came to her mind. Her head was blank—she remembered nothing else. She sighed heavily and put her face in her hands, holding back tears and swallowing the knot that had formed in her throat. She got up from the table and went for the door. No one would follow her into the snow, so she knew she would be able to be alone.

          Riku watched her leave. He wanted to follow her, as he had seen her staring blankly into space, deep in thought about something, but he was afraid of what she might say if he did. If nothing else, he'd learned that she was quick to anger, quick to bite, and sensitive, despite the shell she masked herself in.

          "Hey, whatcha starin' at?" Sora nudged him. Riku turned to him, almost in a daze. "Not gonna follow yer girlfriend?" He teased.

          "She's not my girlfriend," he spat, a little too quickly. "And I wasn't starin' at anything."

          "Right." Sora rolled his eyes. "Yer always watchin' 'er. You like 'er."

          "So?"

          "She's a devil."

          "No, she's not. Just a little—on the aggressive side." He leaned on the wall next to the window so he could look out and see Zephyr looking at the sky as snowflakes caught themselves in her hair and clothes.

          "Calling Zephyr 'aggressive' is like calling a tiger shark a goldfish."

          "Nice analogy," he said bluntly. He looked back out the window and saw Zephyr heave a heavy sigh, blowing a cloud into the air. She stuffed her hands in her pockets and walked off, staring at the ground.

          "Riku?" Sora snapped his fingers, but his friend wasn't responding. He shook his head and went back to where Kairi was sitting.

          "What's the word?" She asked, sipping hot chocolate.

          "So damn lovesick he prob'ly has a fever!"

          "That bad, huh?" She asked. He nodded. Even with Kairi present, the days were beginning to creep by slowly. Very slowly. He hadn't found much to do lately, and had resorted to using Summons as companions. As long as they weren't fighting, they would stay out as long as they wanted—or until he got bored again. He would summon the genie to talk to; he'd been playing games of hide-and-seek with Tinkerbell, who cheated all the time. He would take Dumbo for a gallop through the streets, though the elephant couldn't fit down many of them. Mushu would fetch like a dog, as would Simba, with whom he would also race. Bambi leaped around and played games of tag. He began losing games of tag to a deer. He felt like he was going to crack. He'd even tried to balance the Keyblade on his forehead, but he gave that up after he fell off of some stairs while concentrating too hard on not dropping his weapon. The Heartless were gone, but Monotony was starting to make an appearance.

Snow had finally stopped falling—it had accumulated to roughly three inches. Now that the snow had stopped, everyone had left the café and gone about their business as usual, although Yuffie had dragged Leon away from the Waterway. He hadn't put up much of a fight about it, and instead helped to clear off stairs so that they could walk down them without getting hurt.

          "Why don't we go down to the Waterway?" Sora suggested. "It can't be real bad in there. And the water's frozen, so we probably don' even hafta get wet."

          "Works fer me," Riku said with a shrug. He'd lost track of Zephyr hours ago, and hoped that she would be around there—somewhere. Kairi trailed along too, having nothing better to do. She stuck to Sora like a burr. It was giving off the impression that she was not only cold, but also lonely or scared—or possibly both. She was peppy and cheerful, but everyone else had a slightly more somber attitude.

          Sora had been right—a sheet of ice covered the water that led into the Secret Waterway itself. He threw a stone on it, and the ice held firm. "C'mon, lets go."

          Zephyr had been watching; another memory flashed—a brief, painful one.

~~~

"Baby sister, be careful! It's dangerous out there. Don't go too close to the lake."

          "It's okay, I won't fall through—" the same dark-haired girl, this time older, perhaps ten or so, stood knee-deep in snow. She stepped onto an icy patch. The ice cracked and she fell through. She went numb on contact with the water, splashing and flailing to get her head above water. Heavy clothes dragged her down; she lost control of her limbs and began to sink.

~~~

"Don't!" She launched down from the hotel roof. Sora had an irritated look on his face. Everywhere he went, this girl seemed to follow. She landed near the water. "It won't hold you up—it's too thin."

          "It's not," Sora retorted. "It looks perfectly all right to me."

          She narrowed her eyes, and looked back at the water. With one good kick, the broke the ice, covering her leg with ice-cold water up to her shins. She knelt and picked up a sheet of ice and held it in front of her, showing them how thick it really was—a scant inch.

          "This won't hold you up. It won't even hold me up," she said, and dropped it. It shattered like glass. "Ice isn't strong enough unless you can't see the water under it—when the ice is so dark that the surface looks black. If you fall through, you won't be able to swim back up." She looked down the Waterway. "Don't go in there," she advised, before scaling a wall and leaving their view.

          "I'm never gonna understand what you see in her," Sora told his friend.

          Riku thought on this for a minute before saying, "Good. Less competition." He took off in the direction that she had. Unfortunately, he lost track of her, yet again, and gave up his search, sitting on a bench. Sometimes he got the impression that she was avoiding him. He knew she liked him, simply because she let him hold her hand, and never bit him—the worst she ever did was snap her jaws an inch from his fingertips, which had frightened him before, but he had learned that she wouldn't actually bite him. A strange relationship, but with them it seemed to work.

          Later on it had begun to rain again, and the rain froze on the ground, covering everything with a sheet of ice. Yuffie exited the hotel and promptly slipped on it. She struggled to get back up as Leon appeared.

          "What's going on?" He asked. He saw her clinging to the door, feet sliding around on the ice. "Ah. Fighting the laws of friction again I see." He smirked as he spoke. Yuffie scowled at him.

          "This isn't easy! You try keeping upright with the laws of nature workin' against you!" She fell over again and landed with a wet "SMACK" facedown on the ice. "Owwch…"

          He went out the doors to see if she was all right, and also fell over. He hit the ground with a hard thump. He got up quicker than she did and tried to walk. The ice made him awkward, and for a while he tried to go with it—until he smashed into the hotel doors. He lurched backwards and fell back down.

          "You were saying?" Yuffie asked, hand on her hip. The other hand was gripping the door so that she wouldn't fall down. "Harder'n it looks, huh?" She tried walking again, and had to grab onto the door before she fell. Determined, she tried again, and made three steps before she started to slip again. She reached out and grabbed Leon around the waist to stop herself from falling, but it didn't work. She fell to the ground, bringing his pants with her.

          "EXCUSE ME!" He wrenched his pants from her grip and pulled them back on, his face turning bright red. "Yuffie, don't ever do that again!" He hissed. He lifted her up by her hands and then added in a whisper, "In public." She burst out laughing, so hard that she almost fell again.

          "Come on," she said to him once she'd gotten her breath back. "Everyone's gonna be in the café tonight." He rolled his eyes. She pouted. "Oh, c'mon, it'll be fun!" She took his hand. "C'mon."

          "I dun have a choice do I?"

          "No, not really," she said, grinning. He sighed.

          "All right, I won't waste energy arguing with you… you'll win, anyway."

          The weather didn't seem to have decided what it wanted to do—the winds stopped for a while as they made their way to the café. Sora had taken the opportunity to summon Bambi and chase the fawn around the First District. Zephyr watched from a rooftop with much amusement. Someone came up behind her, panting, and clumsy on the slant of the roof. She turned.

          "How—do you get up—on rooftops so—easy?" Riku gasped, draping himself over the top of the roof. Zephyr winced—that couldn't have been comfortable.

          "Just comes naturally," she said. "Now how the hell'd'you get up here?" She turned around so she could look at him.

          "Very carefully."

          "Yer bein' vague," she said, frowning.

          "So're you." He struggled to keep himself up on the roof. He found a relatively flat space and settled into it, eyeing the girl. Unexpectedly, she got closer to where he sat. She leaned her head on him and watched Sora as she had been doing before.

          "D'you know what that one's called?" She asked, meaning Bambi. She was curious about the Summons and their names. So far, all she knew were Tinkerbell and the genie. "And what good's a fawn gonna do, anyway?"

          Riku looked down at his friend chasing a baby deer around. This one was familiar… he was pretty sure of the name. "I think he's called Bambi."

          Zephyr's heart skipped a beat; eyes widened. "Bambina," she whispered.

          "What?"

          "Someone used to call me that," she said, voice not any louder than a low whisper. "It—it means 'baby girl.' Who called me that? I don't remember. But I was someone's Bambina." For an instant, her memories returned all at once like a flash flood, and she remembered everything about her past; who she was, where she'd come from—all of the details that had been taken from her returned, only to disappear again. Frustrated and anguished, she rested her forehead against her knees and clenched her eyes shut.

          Riku went to put a hand on her shoulder. "Zeph—"

          As soon as his hand touched her, she turned and hissed, slashing at him. She caught his cheek with her nails and shot off on all fours. He put his hand up to the scratch—it wasn't bleeding, but it still hurt. The nail tracks were raised. A little ice would work on it. He could get that at the café—if he could get off the roof.

          She was probably the single most confusing person he'd ever met. Sometimes he wondered if she was raised by wild animals from her growling, hissing, biting, and scratching, although her true physical strength was frail. All he had been told about her was that she was a dangerous person, unusually smart, and that she didn't remember where she came from. Those factors combined made an oddly alluring person with an unhealthy aversion to the members of her own species. He slipped into the café. Cid, Leon, Kairi, and Yuffie were there. Cloud and Aerith had disappeared. Again.

          "What happened to you?" Kairi asked, jumping out of her chair to inspect the marks on the side of his face. "Did you get scratched by something?" She paused. "Or someone?"

          "Yes, all right, I'll admit it—it was Zephyr. She gave me one good slash and ran off," he said, wrapping a small bag of ice in a cloth napkin from one of the tables. He pressed it to the mark.

          "Why'd she do that?" Yuffie asked, confused. She knew Zephyr liked him and would never hurt him—or that's what she thought she knew.

          "Betcha he dun even know," Leon said smugly. She narrowed her eyes at him. When he turned back to Riku, she put her foot on his back and shoved him off of his chair.

          "You gotta watch whatcha say around her now." Cid looked down at him. "The shrew-ness is rubbin' off on 'er."

          "Great. Two shrews." Leon got back into his chair. "That's the last thing we need." He sat back down, and Yuffie shoved him off again. "Will you cut that out?"

          "What's a shrew?" Kairi asked, finally admitting that she had no idea what they were talking about.

          "A rodent. With sharp little teeth an' sharp little claws," he said, moving to another chair, out of Yuffie's reach. "Or another term for a cantankerous bitch—my God, just the fact that I even know what that word means is scarin' me!"

          "She's not a shrew," Riku said, checking his injury in a mirror.

          "Yea, right," Leon snorted. "An' those marks on yer face are just racing stripes."

          Yuffie laughed with a mouthful of orange juice. She coughed and leaned back on the counter, still laughing.

          "Thanks a lot," he muttered, wiping orange juice off of the back of his neck where she'd sprayed it.

          "You're welcome. Anytime." She winked. Cloud and Aerith burst into the café, both looking somewhere between amused and alarmed.

          "You guys had best come look at this," Cloud said. "Sora's got his tongue stuck to a pole."

          "What?" Yuffie sat up quickly and fell off of the counter. "Ow."

          "It's not his fault," Aerith said. "Get some warm water and come this way." She held the door open. "Hurry up!" Cid disappeared into the kitchen to find the water.

          "How'd he get 'is tongue stuck to a pole?" Yuffie asked. Aerith looked up at Cloud.

          "What?" He asked. "I didn't think he'd actually try it!"

          "Oh, no," Yuffie groaned. "What'd you tell 'im?"

          "I juss told him that he'd get his tongue stuck to a pole in this cold. I didn't think he'd try it!"

          "And you din' try to stop him?"

          "I turned my back—next thing I knew, he'd gotten stuck!" He inched away when Aerith swatted him. Cid came back with a bottle of warm water, and she gave it to Cloud, pushing him out the door. "Hey, why me?"

          "Because it's your fault he's stuck in the first place. Now go on, before it gets too cold out." She booted him out the door. She sighed. "They never grow up, do they?"

          "Nope, men never do," Yuffie had gotten herself back up onto the counter. "They just get bigger."

          "Hey!" Leon and Riku turned to her, then at Cid, who hadn't said anything.

          "What?" He asked. "I'm not gonna argue with 'er. It's true." After a pause, he asked Riku, "You know where my assistant went? I 'aven't seen 'er all afternoon."

          ("It's afternoon?" Kairi whispered to herself. "How can he tell?")

          "No. She ran off. I din' see which direction she went in," he answered, still inspecting his scratches. They were getting better, but he had to take the ice off because his cheek was frozen.

          "Dammit! When I get my hands on 'er again, I'm gonna tag 'er and track 'er!" He growled. "It's like tryin' to find a white rabbit in a snowstorm!"

          Riku looked at the pilot, and then at the door. Seemingly intent on a target, he went for the door and left the café. There was no sign of Sora or Cloud on his way out and it started to snow again, although the only metal poles he knew of were in the Third District—everything else was made of sturdy wood or stone. He slipped into Cid's shop and climbed the ladder to the upstairs room, where Zephyr slept. A light was on, but she was asleep. He knelt next to her and went to shake her by the shoulder. She reached out and grabbed his wrist and dug her nails into the soft flesh.

          "I dun care who you are or what you want, but unless the floor is on fire or there's an earthquake, I want you outta here by the count 'a 'one' or else I'm gonna reach down yer throat and rip out one 'a yer lungs," she threatened without opening her eyes.

          "I don't envy the poor Moogle who's gotta wake you up in the mornings," he said back, prying her fingers out of his skin. She sat up and dropped his wrist. He wrapped his other hand around the marks and sat next to her. "First you scratch me, and now you try'n sever a limb." He looked her in the eyes, and she quickly looked away. "What's not to like? C'mon," he took her hand and half-expected to be snapped at. She didn't. He stood and pulled her to her feet. She stood up very close to him, her face only a scant inch from his. She went to move away, but he kept her there.

          "Riku," she began, but she didn't finish. She had nothing to say. For what seemed like the first time in her life, she was terrified of someone.

          "I don't care if you are a devil," he whispered, and kissed her. He pulled away to see her reaction; she was misty-eyed.

          "I'm not," she whispered.

          "I still don't care." He kissed her again. He let go of her hands and circled his arms around her waist; hers slowly snaked around his neck. She whimpered softly when he pulled away. "Lets get back to the café before everyone figures out what we've been doing. An' I wanna see if Cloud got Sora un-stuck."

          "From what?" She asked. "Wait… did Cloud get him stuck to a metal pole?"

          "Yea," he looked at her with one eyebrow raised. "How'd ya know?"

          She sighed heavily. "Cuz I'm the one that told him about it in the first place! He's gonna be in trouble when Aerith finds out."

          "Aerith already knows."

          "Then he'll be sleeping on a couch for a while." She bit her lower lip and opened the back door and let them both out. The weather had finally decided on hard winds and stinging sleet. They slipped across the ground and into the café, arriving looking like a pair of damp, frozen puppies.

          "'Bout time ya showed up," Sora had gotten back and was sipping hot chocolate, trying to rehabilitate his tongue, which had been stuck to a pole for some time. "We were worried."

          "That 'we' didn't, by some inconceivable stretch of the imagination, include you, did it?" Zephyr asked. He glared at her as she sat up on the bar, swinging her feet.

          "Where ya been, girl?" Cid asked her. "Been lookin' fer you all day."

          She blinked at him. "Out."

          "Specifics?"

          She snorted. "It's a small town; there ain't so many places I kin hide! You coulda found me if ya wanted." She paused. "What didja want, anyway? I'm in trouble, aren't I?"

          "I dunno. D'you hide something in someone's sleeping bag again?"

          "No."

          "Then yer off the hook."

          There were few other people in the café at that time. Almost everyone else had gone back to their homes, but for the most part, they lived in the hotel. Some of the others in the café with them had started dancing. Cloud walked over to Yuffie and held out a hand. Grinning, she took it.

          "Hey!"

          She looked at Leon. "Oh, stop it. Yer just jealous."

          "Yes I am!"

          "We're just good friends."

          He narrowed his eyes at her as she went off with him. He drained his glass and got another drink without telling anyone else what he was having. Sora and Kairi were also dancing, off in their own world, looking like they were speaking mind-to-mind.

          "Do you dance?" Riku asked Zephyr. She shook her head.

          "I've been blessed with two left feet and an invisible third one."

          "Huh?"

          "I can't dance."

          "Good, neither can I," he said, leaning on the bar table. He watched her rocking back and forth gently on the bar, deep in thought about something. Leon banged his fist on the table, agitated. The source of his anger was clear—Yuffie was leaning on Cloud's shoulder with her eyes closed, arms about his neck.

          "Calm down," Riku told him. He shook his head.

          "I dun care if 'e is a soldier, an' they are juss fren'z," he said, speech very slurred. "Thazz too damn close." He took another drink.

          "Yer not juss gonna sit here an' let him get away with it, are ya?" Cid asked, looking highly amused.

          "Cid…" Aerith hissed.

          "No," Leon slammed his glass down. "I'm'a go punch 'im in th'face." He stood, conspicuously having trouble with his balance. He started to turn toward Cloud. "But firzz," he looked at Cid. "I think I need'a take a lil' nap." He collapsed in a dead faint. Zephyr crawled over the countertop to see if he'd cracked his skull open; Yuffie had seen him fall and rushed over.

          "Is he all right?" She lifted his head up onto her lap. "Squall?" She looked up at everyone else. "What happened to him?"

          Zephyr picked up his glass and sniffed it. It had no scent, so she took a drink and immediately coughed. "Whatever it was—" she coughed again. "It was alcoholic." She burped and sucked on an ice cube. "How can 'e drink that an' not hurt 'imself?"

          "Ya think he looks all well an' good now?" Cid asked her.

          "All right, lemmie put it this way—how does he still have a tongue?"

          Yuffie sighed. "We all just love you and your comments about everything," she said. "Can we get 'im up offa the floor at least so no one steps on 'im?"

          "I'll bring him back to the hotel," Cloud said, lifting him up. "You comin' Yuffie?" The ninja followed him. Leon was as limp as wet linen, with the exception that wet linen doesn't make noises.

          "Well, that's three down," Riku said. "Who's gonna be next outta here?" He didn't have long to wait. Zephyr had fallen asleep—and off of the counter. She snapped up with a start.

          "What? I din' do it! Whatever it wuz, it wun' me," she rubbed her head. "That stuff kin pack a punch."

          "You have no tolerance fer alcohol, kiddo," Cid told his assistant as he picked her up off of the ground. "One sip an' it put yer lights out."

          "Din' even dim 'em," she slurred, leaning on a bar stool. "I wuz on'y testin' the drop fr'm the bar to the floor."

          "Mm-hmm." He raised his eyebrows. "Girl, go back to the shop. Get some sleep before it gets you first."

          "Good idea," she mumbled, walking to the door. She exited into the cold, feeling it clear her head. Who knew she was so intolerant of alcohol? She breathed in the cold air and headed back to the Item Synthesis shop where her things waited for her. She was tired but afraid to sleep. She knew if she slept, those tiny scraps of memories would haunt her. The name "Bambina" repeated itself over and over in her head, in a voice that had no sound to it, but she knew it was male. Somehow. She pictured the little dark-haired girl on the black pony. The girl's face was a blur, but everything was so real and clear. So lifelike. She could even see the sweat streaked on the pony's withers.

          She paced, feeling tired. Soon she declined from tired to exhausted. But she refused to let herself sleep—she was afraid of what she might see tonight. What if she remembered everything, and it was scary? Or what if she only remembered the scary parts?

          Worrying made her even more tired. Her legs weren't working right, so she sat down to give herself a rest, but she didn't lean against anything. But sleep caught her, and she fell into a dream.

~~~

For as far as the eye could see, there were meadows full of tall, green grasses and wildflowers. Around it was a wooden fence, keeping unwanted intruders out. Inside the fence, as well as the meadow, there was a tiny little stone cottage attached to a huge barn with a few cows and a chicken coop—and full of horses and ponies. Outside the other side of the barn there was an enclosed dirt track with a few poles and jumps, and off of that was a garden full of crops. It was a small home, but whoever lived there had all they needed to survive. Somehow, it was familiar.

          The barn was empty—cows, horses, and ponies grazed in the meadow; chickens ran around, scratching the ground and pecking for grain and food. A man tended the garden. She moved closer for a better look. He was in his early twenties at the absolute most; his hair was glossy black, as was hers, but his eyes were a piercing ice blue. He wore clothes suitable for rough work and worn leather boots. Behind him, the young dark-haired girl stood with a long, straight stick in her hands, with designs carved into it.

          "Bambina, what do you want?" He asked without even looking at her. He seemed to be able to sense that she was there. "Have you fed the hens?"

          "Uh-huh. The ponies is out, too," her voice was smooth, country-bred, and perky, but there was some sadness in it.

          "You mean the ponies are out," he corrected. "You've got to improve your speaking or else people won't take you seriously."

          "They never take me seriously, anyway. I'm just a little girl. A Bambina. Mom and Dad was the same 'bout it." She was quiet for a long time. Confused, Zephyr moved forward to get a closer look, shocked to see tears brimming in the little girl's eyes. "They're never comin' fer us. They left us here. It's been more'n two an' a half years. They ain't never coming back fer us."

          "Baby sister, don't be like that," her brother knelt. "Go mount up. The roof's fixed thanks to you. Make sure no one or nothing tried sneakin' in the meadow last night, all right? And fix any breaks in the fence. These stallions get awfully rowdy when no one's lookin'."

          Grinning, the girl went off, clumsy on her feet. She had long black hair and bright gray eyes. The image faded away, like ripples on a pond, and a new one formed.

The girl was older now, perhaps eleven or so. She sat comfortably on the back of a dainty gray Arabian mare, moving along a fence and making adjustments where needed. The sun beat down on them, making them thirsty. When she got to the barn, she let the horse drink from a trough. She, too, slid to the ground and drank from the same trough as the horse, only stopping to breathe. The mare seemed to sense her discomfort and nuzzled her hair. She smiled and petted her nose.

          "Bring Ra'naa in, Bambina, and come get another horse," her brother called from inside the barn.

          "Coming, Archer." She picked herself up and led her horse into the barn, and soon, this image faded, too.

This time she was the dark haired girl, and she felt very familiar with this scene. It was recent—she knew that much.

          The rode in gray weather, taking a white gelding for a run around the track. She brought him over jumps and logs, spattering them both with mud. The gelding was covered almost to the shoulders in mud; her feet and legs were coated.

          "All right, enough's enough," Archer called from the barn door. She slowed the horse to a trot, then a walk. She looked at her brother questioningly. The wind started to blow harder; the clouds became grayer. "There's a squall line out there. Bring Lucky Charm in 'fore it starts to pour."

          "Aww, Archer, can't I have a few more minutes?" She begged.

          "No, Zephyr, bring him in. You can ride tomorrow. He'll be here," he beckoned. "They always are."

          With a sigh, she dismounted and stumbled around, letting the gelding cool down. She tripped back to the barn and put Lucky Charm in his stall, and passed her hands over the other horses as she made her way to the door that led to the house. The huge Tobaino Shire stallion was Moonriver; Lucky Charm's dam, Lady Luck, was a sturdy white Fox Trotter; an Appaloosa mare was Mayblossom Britannia. With each horse the girl touched, she remembered more and more. Had she not been dreaming, she would have burst into tears.

          She got into the house and climbed into the loft where she slept. Archer was watching out a window, looking worried. She turned on her belly and looked down at him. "Whatcha lookin' at?"

          He looked up at her. "Squall line got bigger. It's gonna be a big one. There's gonna be a hell of a mess to clean up tomorrow." He sighed and went to his own bed. He closed his eyes. "G'night, my Bambina."

          The next thing that she saw was Archer's face up close. He was shaking her awake.

          "Zephyr, get up. Quickly."

          Knowing that this was serious, the dream girl got up, just as curious and confused as she was about the situation at hand. "What happened? Something wrong?"

          "Just get out. Grab a pack and run. Fast. Get out of here, and keep running—whatever you do, don't turn back," he whispered to her. He kissed her forehead. "Go fast. Assuming the worst—I love you." With that, he disappeared.

          Scared, she grabbed her leather pack and put her clothes in it—and also a braided knot made of a little hair from every tail in the stable. Without further hesitation, she slipped out of the house, thinking only two things—get out, and her horses and brother. She didn't have much time to think, though. A storm raged, but it wasn't a thunderstorm.

          Black clouds and purple lightning raged. Red and blue lights flashed, with scraps of white. She heard Archer yelling and desperately wanted to help him, but the fear in his voice when he spoke to her was thick, and she was terrified. There were woods just outside the meadow. The woods were dense and thorny, a safe place for one who didn't mind thorns in their skin. But strange creatures blocked her path. They rose from the shadows on the ground, yellow eyes searching for something.

          Thunder struck the barn roof; it collapsed, along with one wall. Horses and ponies ran out. No cows or chickens had made it, and only eighteen horses had—it was less than half of the herd. They galloped hard in her direction, whites showing all around their eyes.

          Colors flashed before her, and she reached out and grabbed a two-toned black-and-white mane, hauling herself onto the horses' back. It was Wildfire—a pinto Mustang stallion, built for speed. He seemed glad that she was there and relaxed some. They knew her as one of their own kind—as the leader of their herd. She urged him forward, making him weave the dark creatures. Most of the horses followed; a few fell directly into the trap and screamed as a black ecto devoured them.

          Things went from bad to worse. The herd got ahead of them because of the added weight on Wildfire's back, and the dark creatures caught up with them. A few appeared in front of his path; he reared and spun on his hindquarters. The girl kept a good grip on the mane. Zephyr herself tried to close her eyes, but she could see the scene clearly still. Feeling sick, she watched it.

          The girl slid from the horses' back and hit the ground. The shadowy things surrounded her. Wildfire bucked hard, throwing a few of them a great distance. But he was no match for them, and was soon dragged into a black patch in the ground. Dream girl ran again, tripping and clumsy on her own legs. She had to make it to the woods. It was a safehaven. Maybe the other horses made it. They had to have made it…

          Something hit her neck. The ground got closer, and everything went black…

She scrounged for food in the dark town. It was an unfamiliar place, but then again… everything was. Confused, scared, cold, tired, hungry, and half-crazed, she scaled a roof and hid from the people. Recent rain had made the stones slick, and she fell.

          "Who's there?" Someone asked. She backed up, only to discover that she was in an alley. White-eyed with fear, she stayed back against the wall. Soon, a man with spiky blonde hair appeared. He wore a cape. "Hello. Are you lost? What're you doing here?" He asked her.

          Terrified, she jumped at the wall again, successfully climbing several feet off the ground, only to miss her grip and fall, knocking herself unconscious. The next she knew, she was in a bed, feeling a good deal less than well. The scene was familiar to Zephyr. It was a memory she still had.

          "Oh, good, you're up," a young woman with brown hair and green eyes and wearing a pink dress bent down to look at her. "How do you feel?"

          "Hellish."

          "Well, at least you're honest."

          Someone else walked in: a younger girl, perhaps closer to her age, with short black hair and dark eyes. "Aerith? Oh, she's awake! Good!" She, too, bent close to her. "What's your name?"

          "I—I don't—know," she murmured. "Who am I?" The two women began to walk away, and she lifted her head. "Wait!" They turned to her. "My—my name is Zephyr."

          My name is Zephyr…

          Name is Zephyr…

          Is Zephyr…

          Zephyr…

~~~

She lurched upright, tears on her face, trembling in silent sobs. She held herself quiet and looked out the window. It was probably after midnight now, and she was back in Traverse. Her dreams stayed with her, and she remembered everything. Those creatures had taken her home, her brother, her horses—her life. She restrained herself from crying out loud.

          She scrambled over to her pack and dumped the contents out. She picked up an article of clothing at the bottom and held it to her face, inhaling deeply. It smelled over leather, and wood; of sweet grasses, hay, and earth, and the musky scent of horses. She cried into it, then dropped it, groping on the floor for something, and found it—a braided knot. Her horses. And ponies. This was all that she had left of them. Her clothes had belonged to her brother, Archer. He, too, was gone forever. She heard his last words—

          "Assuming the worst—I love you."

          Zephyr gave up now. She collapsed on herself in a heap and cried, not caring who heard. Riku slept on a couch downstairs—that fact had slipped her mind. She ran out of breath and simply sat on the floor, letting her tears fall.

          Someone bumbled around downstairs, and the trapdoor opened. Riku climbed the ladder, struggling to see her in the darkness of the room. He couldn't find her.

          "Zephyr, where are you? What happened?" He whisper-yelled. When he heard her panting, he hit a light and saw her in the corner, face in her hands. He scrambled over, briefly forgetting that there were counters on the floor. He smashed his shins against one and swore at himself. He got down on one knee in front of her and stroked her hair.

          "They're gone," she whispered. "All of them."

          "Who?" He sat square on the floor. She handed him the horsehair rope and lifted her head to see his reaction. "Looks like horsehair," he said plainly. "Where did you get it? There's no horses around here."

          "They—were my horses. And ponies," she whispered. "Hairs from every tail. It's the only thing I have left from them. Those—those things destroyed my home."

          "The Heartless?"

          "If that's what they were."

          "You remembered?" He asked softly. She nodded and looked into his face. Her eyes were filled with pain.

          "I dreamed it." She stayed silent for a minute, and broke down into tears again. This time, she plowed her head into his chest and wrapped her arms around him, refusing to let go. "My brother is gone. Dead. I'll never see him again. I wish I'd never remembered it."

          Riku was baffled. "Why? The memories can't be all bad. Are they?"

          She thought on this. The end was horrifying. But… she had remembered everything in her life. Ice skating on the frozen lake in winter, and long rides through the rain. Foals in spring, and feeling their soft baby fur under her hands. No—not all of her memories were bad. Her parents had left her, but Archer loved her and took care of her. He'd sacrificed himself so she could run—so she could survive.

          Lost in thought, she fell asleep in his lap. It wasn't until late morning that Yuffie found them. She grinned. "Well, well…" she called softly down the ladder, "Leon, lookit this! I toldja she'd end up sleepin' in his lap! Pay up!"

          Zephyr opened one eye. Had they been betting on her?

          "I am not a racehorse!" She snapped at them as she sat up. Riku woke up from the sudden liberation of his legs.

          "What happened? What'd I miss?"

          "They're betting on us."

          "Hey, who kissed who first?" Yuffie yelled up. Zephyr went over and looked down at them.

          "That's private." With that, she slammed the trapdoor shut and locked it. She turned to Riku. "I hate it when they bet on me like that."

          "You mean they do it often?"

          She nodded. "Last time they did it, it was before you came. They were betting on what I'd smash into next. A beam, a door, a wall, a streetlamp." She sighed. "I feel like a racehorse."

          Riku couldn't help but grin. "Who won?"

          "Leon did. He betted I'd hit a streetlamp. I knocked it over and had a shiner fer two weeks." She glanced sidelong at him. How she'd grown so attached and attracted to someone she had met only weeks before was a mystery. But she had—and it belonged. In old memories and new.

                                                                                                  ~*~

Whoa. Even LONGER. That was not intentional! But was it any good? Sad, yes, I know. A little weird. But she has to have a past, so I made one up for her. Very uncharacteristically dramatic for me, too. I nearly cried while writing it—must be an all-time low. Next thing I add to this will, more likely than not, be a Leon/Yuffie story, but Zephyr will still be in it. *ducks heavy objects thrown by angry mob* I din' mean to have an OC-dominant fic. It kinda just—turned out like that.

And yes, "Bambina" actually does mean "baby girl"—in Italian.

NOW PLEASE REVIEW AND LET ME KNOW THESE TWENTY-ONE PAGES WERE NOT IN VAIN!!                             


	4. Animal Strengths

I have Writer's Block. Again. And this time, the Writer's Termites just ain't cuttin' it. I have another chapter to this in the process, but I'm _stuck,_ so in the meantime, I decided that I would post this, because I think it's something really interesting—plus I've been wanting to do it for a while, I juss never got around to it because I was writing the other stuff. But now I have the time. A mixed blessing.

I. Am. _NOT._ Posting. A damn disclaimer. Again. Ever. And I mean it. I've run out of insults. *sob*

I have a list of animal strengths that I used for a collage in art class by drawing the animals whose traits best fit me. (Don't ask.) Now I'm doing the same with the traits that best fit our darling Kingdom Hearts characters—from what I know of them, anyway. I know very little of Cloud and Aerith and Cid. But I'll try. The animals aren't meant to imply anything bad—some of the ones that fit me didn't really strike my fancy, either, but the strengths did. (Like the spider—EEW. I'm an invertebrate phobic.) I hope you find this interesting instead of just thinking that I am totally nuts—those of you who haven't figured that fact out yet. You'll notice that a lot of them have similar animals, which is why they either get along well, or try and kill each other—depending on the trait.

By the way—I added Zephyr in, too. Just because she's an Original Character that is actually tolerated.

                                                                                                  ~*~

**Aerith:__**

Butterfly; metamorphosis, carefree, transformer

Deer; love, gentleness, kindness

Eagle; divine spirit, connection to creator

Hummingbird; joy, miracles, beauty

Loon [A/N: this is a kind of diving water bird… like a scuba-diving duck]; solitude, song, romance

Pheasant; confidence, attraction, perseverance

Rabbit; alertness, resourceful

Ram; new beginning, teacher, hoarder

Seahorse; confidence, grace

Wolf's Paw; freedom, success, guidance

Unicorn; redemption, salvation

White Dove; love, gentleness, peace

Cat; independence, grace, healing

Manatee; peaceable, unassuming

Blue Heron; rhythm, balance, seeker

Seal; dreams, creativity

**Cid:**

Beaver; builder, gatherer

Cougar; leadership, courage

Elk; strength, agility, freedom

Fox; cunning, provider, intelligent

Grizzly Bear; hunter, nature's pharmacist

Hawk; messenger, stopper of time

Ram; new beginning, teacher, hoarder

Wolf; loyalty, success, perseverance

Brontosaur; harmless giant

Bull; strength, warning

Dog; loyalty, protection

Elephant; long life, self-preservation

Giraffe; watchfulness, mobility

Lion; power, strength, respect

Hammerhead; restless, movement

**Cloud:**

Alligator; aggression, survival, adaptability

Armadillo; active, nocturnal, protection

Bear; power, adaptability

Bear's Paw; strength, mobility

Crane; solitude, independence

Eagle; divine spirit, connection to creator

Elk; strength, agility, freedom

Horse; stamina, mobility, strength

Loon; solitude, song, romance (don't ask me why—I just think it fits him.)

Moose; headstrong, unstoppable, longevity

Owl; wisdom, perseverance

Shark; hunter, survival

Skunk; wary, conspicuous, intense

Snake; shrewdness, transformation

Turtle; self-contained, creative source

Wolf; loyalty, success, perseverance

Scorpion; defense, self-protection

Pegasus; carrier of lightning

Tyrannosaur; lizard king

Bull; strength, warning

Goat; stubborn, omnivorous

Dog; loyalty, protection

Polar Bear; fearlessness, power

Lion; power, strength, respect

Bobcat; fierce, loner, intensity

Orca; focus, power

Water Buffalo; enormous strength, hard working

Gorilla; brute strength, adaptability

Camel; weary, enduring

Sail Fish; elusive, quickness

Stingray; mystery, rhythm

Lobster; travel, determination

**Kairi:**

Buffalo; sacredness, life-builder

Butterfly; metamorphosis, carefree, transformer

Deer; love, gentleness, kindness

Dolphin; kindness, play, bridging man to ocean

Eagle; divine spirit, connection to creator

Goose; faithful, communicative, traveler

Hummingbird; joy, miracles, beauty

Loon; solitude, song, romance

Otter; laughter, curiosity, truth, patience

Rabbit; alertness, resourcefulness

Seahorse; confidence, grace

Squirrel; trusting, innocence

Swan; grace, balance, festive

White Dove; love, peace, gentleness

Cow; patience, indifference

Dog; loyalty, protection

Cat; grace, independence, healing

Zebra; family-oriented, alert

Penguin; playful, loving

Manatee; peaceable, unassuming

Kangaroo; feisty, funloving

Blue Heron; rhythm, balance, seeker

Seal; dreams, creativity

**Leon:**

Alligator; aggression, survival, adaptability

Bat; guardian of the night, cleaner

Bear; power, adaptability

Bear's Paw; strength, mobility

Cougar; leadership, courage

Crane; solitude, independence

Elk; strength, agility, freedom

Fox; cunning, provider, intelligence

Hawk; messenger, stopper of time

Horse; stamina, mobility, strength

Loon; solitude, song, romance

Moose; headstrong, unstoppable, longevity

Ram; new beginning, teacher, hoarder

Road Runner; speed, agility, cleverness

Shark; hunter, survival

Snake; shrewdness, transformation

Wolf; loyalty, success, perseverance

Raptor; speedy thief

Bull; strength, warning

Goat; stubborn, omnivorous

Rhino; durability, strength

Polar Bear; fearlessness, power

Lion; power, strength, respect

Bobcat; fierce, loner, intensity

Orca; focus, power

Water Buffalo; enormous strength, hard working

Camel; weary, enduring

Hammerhead; restless, movement

Stingray; mystery, rhythm

**Riku:**

Armadillo; active, nocturnal, protection

Bear; power, adaptability

Bear's Paw; strength, mobility

Buffalo; sacredness, life builder

Coyote; prankster, insight, playful

Crane; solitude, independence

Eagle; divine spirit, connection to creator

Elk; strength, agility, freedom

Fox; cunning, provider, intelligence

Horse; mobility, stamina, strength

Hummingbird; joy, miracles, beauty (yes, even for Riku. He's _my_ Riku, an' I say he's drop dead gorgeous.)

Loon; solitude, song, romance

Moose; headstrong, unstoppable, longevity

Rabbit; alertness, resourceful

Ram; new beginning, teacher, hoarder

Seahorse; confidence, grace

Shark; hunter, survival

Skunk; wary, conspicuous, intense

Turtle; self-contained, creative source

Wolf; loyalty, success, perseverance

The Thunderbird; caller of rain

Scorpion; defense, self-protection

Raptor; speedy thief

Goat; stubborn, omnivorous

Dog; loyalty, protection

Zebra; family-oriented, alert

Polar Bear; fearlessness, power

Lion; power, strength, respect

Bobcat; fierce, loner, intensity

Orca; focus, power

Camel; weary, enduring

Stingray; mystery, rhythm

Lobster; travel, determination

**Sora:**

Ant; team player, worker

Bear's Paw; strength, mobility

Cougar; leadership, courage

Coyote; prankster, insight, playful

Dolphin; kindness, play, bridging man to ocean

Eagle; divine spirit, connection to creator

Elk; strength, agility, freedom

Fox; cunning, provider, intelligence

Goose; faithful, communicative, traveler

Grizzly Bear; hunter, nature's pharmacist

Horse; stamina, mobility, strength

Lizard; conservation, agility

Loon; solitude, song, romance

Otter; laughter, curiosity, truth, patience

Pheasant; confidence, attraction, perseverance

Rabbit; alertness, resourcefulness

Ram; new beginning, teacher, hoarder

Salmon; instinct, persistence, determination

Skunk; wary, conspicuous, intense

Squirrel; trusting, innocence

Swan; graceful, balance, festive

Wolf; loyalty, success, perseverance

Scorpion; defense, self-protection

Dragon; wisdom, nobility

Bull; strength, warning

Boar; intelligence, hunger

Dog; loyalty, protection

Rhino; durability, strength

Zebra; family-oriented, alert

Giraffe; watchfulness, mobility

Lion; power, strength, respect

Penguin; playful, loving

Orca; focus, power

Camel; weary, enduring

Kangaroo; feisty, funloving

Blue Heron; rhythm, balance, seeker

Sail Fish; elusive, quickness

Seal; dreams, creativity

**Yuffie:**

Ant; team player, worker

Bear; power, adaptability

Coyote; prankster, insight, playful

Deer; love, gentleness, kindness

Dragonfly; flighty, carefree

Eagle; divine spirit, connection to creator

Fox; cunning, provider, intelligence

Horse; stamina, mobility, strength

Hummingbird; joy, miracles, beauty

Loon; solitude, song, romance

Otter; laughter, curiosity, truth, patience

Pheasant; confidence, attraction, perseverance

Rabbit; alertness, resourcefulness

Raven; trickster, mischievous

Road Runner; speed, agility, cleverness

Shark; hunter, survival

Swan; grace, balance, festive

Wolf; loyalty, success, perseverance

White Dove; love, peace, gentleness

Raptor; speedy thief

Bull; strength, warning

Cow; patience, indifference

Goat; stubborn, omnivorous

Dog; loyalty, protection

Cat; grace, independence, healing

Zebra; family-oriented, alert

Lion(ess); power, strength, respect

Monkey; playfulness, agility

Penguin; playful, loving

Kangaroo; feisty, funloving

Ostrich; fickle, fast moving

Seal; dreams, creativity

**Zephyr: **[A/N: This is the same list that I used; a surprisingly _short_ list.]

Alligator; aggression, survival, adaptability

Coyote; prankster, insight, playful

Crane; solitude, independence

Fox; cunning, provider, intelligence

Moose; headstrong, unstoppable, longevity

Mouse; timid, secretive, sneaky

Raccoon; bandit, shy, determination

Raven; trickster, mischievous

Shark; hunter, survival

Snake; shrewdness, transformation

Spider; creative, pattern of life

Turtle; self-contained, creative source

Scorpion; defense, self-protection

Dragon(ess); wisdom, nobility

Goat; stubborn, omnivorous

Polar Bear; fearlessness, power

Bobcat; fierce, loner, intensity

Camel; weary, enduring

Octopus; privacy, shyness

                                                                                                  ~*~

Wow, that was longer than I thought it would be. Whoo. Anyway—I hope this formats right and the italics and bold words etc show up. The names are supposed to be bold lettering. And here, strength doesn't necessarily mean physical—something to think about.

Interesting how the OC has the third-least amount of listed strengths. Sora came in first with thirty-eight.

Anyway—I'd love to get some reviews, and whilst yer here, you may as well read what I already have up here. Please?  


	5. Love Knows No Age

Fudge. I'm having a bad day. I have to go to the _STUPIDASS_ therapist, whom I hate, and my mom had to switch to appointment to today because I work tomorrow when I would usually go see her, and it's a job I don't like. I would rather work at a bookstore than a restaurant. Or a pet store. I got a photo-paper cut in second period (I take photography), I spilled white glaze on black jeans in _seventh_ period (I also take ceramics), and the white spot it made could be taken the wrong way—_AND_ I have a headache. I wonder why. *twitch* Ah, the hell with it. Writing is the best therapy for me, although this is made up on-spot. I just have to write something to get my mind offa this shitty day, so it might not be so good. Can yeh review it, anyway? Even just to tell me that I need to take a nice long nap or check into a mental institution? (*shudder* Those places are like prisons. Take it from me—I know.)

Summary: (Leon/Yuffie—YAY!) Leon is twenty-six. Yuffie is only seventeen. The age difference between them never bothered either of them—or any of their friends. But a townsperson expresses his contempt for their open relationship with a nine year age crevasse, pointing out that someone Leon's age should not be taking the innocence of such a young girl. Naturally, Leon expresses his opinion with his fists, but Yuffie sits down to think about it, and starts to wonder if he really feels that way about her, and just doesn't say it—after all, she _is_ just a little girl compared to him. It takes Aerith, Kairi, and Zephyr to talk sense into her; it takes Cid, Cloud, Riku, Zephyr, Kairi, _and_ Sora to stop Leon from killing the bastard that brought up the idea in the first place; it takes Riku and Sora to stop Zephyr from doing the same; it takes Aerith to patch her up when they're done with her; and it takes three long days for this all to happen. Just watch as a modern-day Shakespeare-type situation takes place in Traverse Town…

Now, now, dearlings, if I owned Kingdom Hearts, would I be _INSULTING THE PEOPLE WHO STILL NEED TO SEE A FRIGGEN DISCLAIMER??? COME ON, NOW; LET'S THINK ABOUT THAT! _Geez, people can be so damn _thick_… sheesh.

                                                                                                  ~*~

Hand-in-hand they walked—a young female ninja, perhaps in her late teens, with short black hair and dark eyes, and a swordsman in his twenties with long brown hair, eyes hidden beneath his bangs. Yuffie and Leon; the oddest couple anyone had ever met. They were opposites—Yuffie being so perky, lively, and happy all the time, and Leon always quiet, sullen-looking, and sometimes seeming to be suffering from lethargy. She pestered and teased him, and it did a lot to annoy him, but it had gone from spite to a game almost. A strange relationship, but nonetheless—they loved each other.

          As they walked, Leon slipped his hand from hers and pulled her into a dark alley. (Although Traverse was already dark, anyway—this alley just happened to be exceptionally dark.) He crushed her against the wall, eyes intent on hers.

          "Leon, what're you—" she began, but she didn't get to finish before he kissed her lips—at first softly, then deepened. She groaned softly and closed the little space that was between them—now there was _nothing_ between them—not even air molecules. He dragged his fingers down the bare skin of her stomach, and she gasped.

          "Perhaps to _some_ people, _any _place can serve as their own private place for…personal activities."

          They turned to see the speaker—it was an older man, perhaps in his forties. He was standing at the opening of the alley, glaring at them in distaste. He continued his speech.

          "However, there are _also_ people of _taste_ who do not find your disgusting domestic romance to be suitable for passing eyes. I suggest you take your activities elsewhere, before someone sees something that they should not." He glared at them in pure disgust, particularly at Leon, before he walked off, shoes making a "clop, clop, clop" sound on the stone ground as he went.

          Leon was still glaring at the space where the man had been standing. He seemed to be _just_ barely restraining himself from committing a murder. Yuffie reached up and put a hand on his cheek, and he turned back to look at her.

          "Are you all right?" She whispered.

          He looked back in the direction that the man had gone a minute ago, saying absently, "Yea. I'm fine." Despite what he had said, he still looked like a dog that had just seen a stranger walk into his yard.

          She tangled her hand back in his and nudged him. "C'mon, lets go home 'fore someone else bitches at us." When he didn't respond, she tugged his arm. "Squall? C'mon."

          Following, he murmured, "It's Leon."

          They walked past the man, now sitting next to his wife on a bench. She looked just as equally appalled at them as her husband had. "It's so disgusting," she whispered. "A man that age with such a young child. Corrupted her, probably."

          "I know," he replied. "And they're shameless about it. He must be ten years her senior! At _least!"_ He gave an ungentlemanly snort. "If he had any regard for her at all, he would know just to stay away from her—her virtue could be damaged by being seen with him."

          "They _live_ in that old hotel. _Together._ I have _never_ heard of anything so ridiculous in my life. I believe they even share a room—with only _one_ bed. It is _completely_ immoral. She is _far_ too young for him, _and_ they are not married!"

          "Quite right," he agreed. "She's just a _baby_ in comparison to him. An unmarried couple living together, and _sleeping_ together, and she can't be any older than sixteen!"

          At the comments that they heard, Yuffie and Leon had both stopped walked and started listening. Leon was as stiff and pale as a marble statue—Yuffie had made a fist with her free hand, clenching so hard that her nails dug into her palm, drawing blood. She ground her teeth together, and began trembling.

          "Disgusting," the woman hissed. She got up, as did her husband, and they walked off. Leon and Yufie, however, stayed where they were, as if in a trance. It was only when Yuffie felt the bite of her own nails in her flesh did they start out of their daze.

          "Bastard," he hissed. He saw Yuffie's hand and widened his eyes. She herself didn't realize what she had done until he asked her why she had done it. "You're hurt," he said in concern.

          "What're you talkin' about?" She asked. Then she looked at her palm, and her eyes went wide. She opened her mouth to say something, but then she shut it again. She blinked, and finally _did_ say something. "Damn, why'd you tell me? Now it hurts." She flinched her hand back into a fist, pressing the cuts so that they wouldn't bleed.

          "We can go get a bandage for that," he said. "Lets go."

          As they walked, Yuffie couldn't help but think of what the man and his wife were saying. Parts of it were correct—she _was_ very young compared to Leon; he was twenty-six, and she was only seventeen. It was a nine-year age gap. Just a gap—not a canyon. But where did an age gap turn into an age _canyon?_ It had to be _somewhere,_ didn't it? What if nine was the number? She chanced a glance up at him, but he was thinking about something, and didn't notice her. She stayed silent for a long time, for the entire walk back to the hotel.

          When they entered the lobby, they walked in on Riku and Cid's assistant, Zephyr, kissing and oblivious to their surroundings. Despite her spinning thoughts, Yuffie bit her lower lip to stop herself from laughing. She was tempted to stay silent, just to see how far the young couple would go before they realized they were being watched. Leon decided for them.

          "Hey, kids," he snapped. Zephyr yelped like a cat who had just had its' tail slammed in a door and leaped up onto the front desk. It seemed that no matter what happened, Zephyr always had to be standing on something that _wasn't_ the floor. She glared daggers at him. "Take it outside," he said, jerking his thumb at the hotel doors.

          "Y'almost gave me a coronary," the girl panted. _"You shouldn't sneak up on people like that!"_

          "Yea, especially not over-caffienated people," Riku muttered. She turned to him, this time, though her eyes were softer.

          "I'll get _you_ later," she told him. She jumped from the desk to the floor and exited the hotel. Riku wrinkled his nose, distraught.

          "What is it?" Yuffie asked him.

          "You 'ave any idea how long it took me to _find_ 'er, let alone get us somewhere _alone?"_

          "Get outta here," Leon said, practically _throwing_ the boy out of the hotel after his girlfriend.

          Inside their room, Yuffie cleaned her hand of the blood while Leon looked for some bandage. While she was alone, her mind began wandering back to what the man and woman had said.

          Troubled thoughts entered her mind without her consent. Yes, Leon was older than she was… and yes, they _did_ live together in the same hotel room, sleeping in the same bed. They had done so ever since they had arrived in Traverse, a year ago. The reason for this was that they needed a place to stay—she, Aerith, and Leon—and there were only the two hotel rooms that were still inhabitable, neither of which had two beds. And one way or another, _someone_ was going to have to end up sleeping with someone else. Yuffie originally bunked with Aerith, but changed to the Green Room in a few nights, claiming that Aerith snored.

          At first, they alternated nights, sleeping on the bed or on the couch, but eventually sleeplessness from the one stuck sleeping on the couch took over, and they had begun sleeping together. This was long before they had admitted their feelings, and Yuffie thought that her love for him would go unreciprocated; Leon thought the same about her, but he hid it much better. In the end, simply sleeping in the same bed had gone further… she blushed some to think of it, especially with the thoughts shifting around in her head.

          _"Corrupted her, probably."_

          It was her choice. Did that still make it corruption? She sighed heavily and bandaged her hand, not saying a word. Her normal aura of liveliness was gone, and Leon couldn't figure out why. He was tempted to ask her, but the look on her face to told him that it was probably just safer for him to wait until she told him on her own time—whenever _that_ was.

          Instead of sitting down inside, Yuffie went out onto the balcony and leaned over the ledge, staring at the stars, watching the moon. It was the last quarter—in two nights there would be no moon. The new moon. Scents drifted in the air; sounds followed. Her mind wasn't working straight. She waited for Leon to come out, but he didn't. She looked back inside and saw him leave the room. She clenched her teeth and slid to the ground. Leaning back and staring into the stars.

          Leon had left—regrettably. He wanted to go outside, onto the balcony, and stay with Yuffie until she told him what was bothering her. It must have been something terrible, because it took a _lot_ to get her to be so quiet like that. But he also knew that she was sensitive, and that maybe she needed to cry it off, but she would _never_ cry around him. So he left. And he felt bad for it.

          "Hey, big guy," Sora said from outside as Leon left the hotel. "Where's yer shadow?" He teased. When the swordsman didn't answer, he snapped his eyebrows together. "Where're _you_ goin'?"

          "Away," he said simply. He didn't feel much like talking right now. For once, he wished that he were like the sarcastic, devious Zephyr in that she was able to easily scale rooftops to hide from the world when she needed to.

          Part of him wanted to find the bastard and his wife and kill them both for saying what they did—insults to him were usually like water off a duck's back, but they had also insulted 

          Part of him wanted to find the bastard and his wife and kill them both for saying what they did—insults to him were usually like water off a duck's back, but they had also insulted Yuffie, and that was the one tiny chink in his armor of self-control. He didn't care what anyone said about _him,_ but he didn't want to find _anyone_ bad-mouthing Yuffie in any way. He wandered the dark streets until his internal clock told him that it was time to go inside. He went right to the hotel and didn't bother eating dinner.

          In the café, everybody else was eating, or just finishing. Yuffie, however, hadn't eaten much of anything. She had only had an apple and a glass of water, and even _that_ she didn't finish. Only Aerith seemed to notice, as everyone else was distracted with something—Cloud and Cid were talking; Sora and Kairi had gone who-_knew_-where; Zephyr had nearly swallowed her dinner—_with_ the plate—whole and was now reading a book, and Riku was eyeing her from a table.

          Only a week ago, they had had snow; now the weather was warmer, and Zephyr had needed to borrow a shirt from Yuffie, or else fry in her own clothes. Unfortunately, it was too big on her—it was only a halter-top, but it came nearly to the bottom of her ribcage and had to be held up with surgical tape and the shoulder straps kept falling down. Riku evidently found this highly amusing.

          Aerith slipped over to the isolated place where Yuffie sat, thinking the same thoughts over and over and over again. She sat next to her, lowering her head to try and look her in the eyes. Yuffie put her head on her arms.

          "What's wrong, Yuffie? You haven't said a _thing_ all night," she said gently. "And where's Leon? Do you know?" The younger girl shook her head. "Is that why you're upset?"

          Lying through her teeth, Yuffie picked up her head. "Yea," she murmured, although she was really wondering if her thoughts were true—if she really _was_ too young for him. She stood up and left, heading for Cid's shop. She couldn't face Leon tonight, especially in the same bed, or even the same room. When she slipped into the shop, she opened a cardboard box, revealing the result of Zephyr's day of work: newly cleaned up accessories—some of which could have passed for museum artifacts.

          She lost track of time as she went through the box and was startled when the door opened; Zephyr stood in the doorway looking at her.

          "You seem down tonight," she said plainly. "Have a row with Prince Charming?" Her analogy had not amused the older girl, and she turned her tone a little more serious. "You can sleep here fer the night if ya want to. Ya can have my room if ya want, but Riku sleeps down here."

          "What about you?"

          "I'll find somewhere."

          Yuffie looked suspiciously from her to the couch and back again. Zephyr blushed fiercely when she figured the ninja's thoughts out.

          "No! My _God,_ you don't _really_ think—ah ferget it." She sighed. "You kin still sleep in my room. I juss have to tell the Moogles not to wake you up." She watched Yuffie climb the ladder into the now empty Item Synthesis shop, and then relaxed on a couch and began to doze off. It wasn't until a few minutes later that she woke up.

          "Hey, Zephyr, I thought you were asleep," Riku said. He watched her sit up and yawn.

          "Is it time to milk the cows already?" She asked, not knowing what she was saying.

          "No, Bambina, not yet," he replied, knowing that that was the nickname her older brother had used for her. Startled, she jerked her head to look at him and fell to the floor.

          "Ouch." She looked up at him and scowled. "Riku, that was a nasty trick!" She threw her pillow at him. "Which couch do you usually sleep on?"

          "That one," he said, pointing to the couch nearest to the fireplace. "Why?"

          "Cuz Yuffie had a row with Leon an' she's sleepin' in my room." She curled up on the couch again, and Riku grinned. "What's so funny?" She asked him.

          "You let her sleep upstairs because otherwise she'd sleep down here, and you'd be jealous—admit it! You would've been _so_ jealous," he taunted, amused by embarrassing her.

          "No," she said, standing up and walking over to him. He frowned, as though he had anticipated her saying yes. "I'd've been _immensely_ jealous." She pulled him to her and kissed him.

          In the hotel, Leon couldn't sleep. Yuffie hadn't come back, and she hadn't said anything to him, either. She normally only did that when she was sulking about something, but that didn't happen very often, and it was generally evident about what she was sulking _about._ This time, though, she seemed to have gone sullen for no apparent reason. Unless—

          Was it what they had overheard? The critical man and his wife had brought up and elaborated on a subject that never really bothered any of them, but it _was_ something that Yuffie had, at one point, worried about. It took a little convincing to get her to drop it, but now it had been brought back up with a relatively solid argument against their relationship. He sighed heavily. _That_ had to be what she was so upset about.

          He didn't want to sleep, but he must have anyway, because Aerith knocked on his door, telling him to wake up. For a minute, he'd forgotten the events of the previous evening, and turned over, expecting to see Yuffie still asleep next to him, like she always was. But she wasn't there, and memory returned in a rush. Groaning, he sat up and combed his hair back with his fingers. He knew for certain what _he_ was going to do today: revenge.

"Yuffie, you were quiet last night and you haven't said a _thing_ all morning!" Aerith told her friend. The ninja stayed silent for a long time. Aerith spoke again. "What's up? Did you have a fight with Leon? Zephyr said you slept in the Item Synthesis Shop last night, so _something_ must have been wrong. You can tell me."

          Yuffie looked up, eyes sad. Zephyr and Kairi were sitting nearby, arguing about something. Zephyr seemed to take people as one extreme or another—either she hated the person, or she liked them. There was never an in-between.

          "I—Aerith, I want you to be honest with me; don't lie because you don't want to hurt my feelings."

          "Um… all right. What do you want to know?" The Flower Girl seemed openly confused.

          "Am I—am I too young for Squall?"

          Taken back, Aerith opened her eyes wide. "What do you mean by that?"

          "I mean… he's older than me—he's got _nine years_ on me. Is that too much? I'm just a little girl next to him, aren't I?" She sighed and curled her hands around her upper arms.

          "No, of course not!" She was quick to assure. "Leon's a bit older than you, but it's not as if you were with someone who was old enough to be your father—"

          "Or worse, her grandfather," Zephyr put in. Both Yuffie and Aerith turned to the small girl, who had obviously won the argument, because Kairi looked greatly distraught about something.

          "It's impolite to eavesdrop," Yuffie said, although she couldn't help but sound slightly amused.

          "What were you two arguing about _this_ time?" Aerith asked, sounding very much like a mother talking to her children. Kairi and Zephyr looked at one another before Zephyr finally replied, "You mean an argument has to be _about_ something?"

          "You guys're weird," the ninja mumbled. "What _were_ you fighting about?"

          "Zephyr?" Kairi looked at the other girl.

          _"Damn,_ I was hoping _you'd've_ remembered," Zephyr said with a smirk. Whether or not they were joking would probably go unknown forever. "So what's eating Yuffie? Must be something _big_ to make 'er so upset like this."

          "She's worried that she's too young for Leon," Aerith explained. Kairi raised her eyebrows and Zephyr looked outright shocked.

          "Why'd'you think a thing like _that?"_ Zephyr asked.

          "I—" she swallowed and didn't finish.

          "Yer not that much younger than he is," Kairi said. "And you get along so well… I can't imagine something like _this_ breakin' you guys up. I can't really imagine _anything_ breaking you guys up."

          "But it's _true;_ I _am_ just a baby next to him," Yuffie whimpered. "What if he thinks it, but he juss doesn't say anything about it?"

          The three other girls stayed quiet for a moment before Aerith spoke up. "I can't see Leon doing that. It's completely out of character for him. He loves you, and he doesn't care about how old you are. It's just a petty difference—it's not something he would care about."

          "She's right, y'know," Kairi chimed in. "I 'aven't been here all that long, but I _do_ know that emotional age is diff'rnt from physical age. With all you've gone through, you could just as well be twenty-five."

          "An' even so, he dun _care_ 'bout how old you are. He loves you for _you._ So he just _happens_ to be nine years older'n you are. Big friggen deal. It's not the biggest gap I've ever seen; my parents was thirteen years apart. They still loved each other. Din' like _us_ all that much, but…" she took a deep breath, avoiding dipping into painful memories—the only thing she had left of her old life. "Point is—dun worry 'bout it."

          "Yuffie," Aerith said gently. "Remember when you finally told him? Remember that you said you were just a silly little girl?" Yuffie nodded and she went on. "He tracked you down. He said he didn't _care_ about how old you were. He told you that you weren't a little girl to him."

          Yuffie still sighed. She didn't seem convinced, even with their speeches. The words kept repeating themselves in her head: _"Corrupted her, probably."_ She drooped in her seat.

          "Damn, this _must_ be serious," Zephyr said. "On'y _that_ kinda thing would make her suffer from worse melancholy than I usually do." She leaned forward, and the straps on her borrowed shirt fell down; luckily, they were alone in the café. "Goddammit!" She pulled them back up and stood to leave.

          "Where're you goin'?" Kairi asked.

          "Back to the shop. I gotta get some work done, an' I'm gonna steal Cid's staple gun an' fasten these straps securely in place!" She adjusted the tape that held the whole garment up in place. "I'll see you later."

          She trotted back to the shop, and, for a while, was seriously contemplating using staples to hold Yuffie's hater-top up, but decided against it—she doubted her friend would like it if she bled on her clothes. A large crate of accessories was waiting to be cleaned, but Cid wasn't there. Sighing, she sat down and started digging through the items, sorting them into piles of things that could be salvaged, and things that didn't stand a chance. She then started cleaning the worst of the crud from them with her dagger. Soon the door opened and someone quietly walked in.

          "Hello, Riku," she said without turning around.

          "Hey," he walked up behind her where she sat on the floor and knelt next to her. He kissed her cheek and she blushed, but didn't look up from her work. "How'd you know it was me?"

          "I know yer walk," she said plainly. "An' yer one 'a the only other people who come in here this early in the day. Only Cid, Sora, or Yuffie do, an' I know Yuffie's in the café with Kairi and Aerith."

          "How'd you know I wasn't Sora or Cid?"

          "Wishful thinking," she blurted without thinking about what she was saying before she said it. She immediately blushed and looked away.

          "Ah, so I have some power over you," he had a sinister grin on his face. He wrapped his arms around her from behind, feeling her squirm under his hands—she was _very_ ticklish, especially on bare skin.

          "Break it up."

          A paranoid Zephyr knocked Riku away and spun to look at Cid in the doorway, a guilty look on her face. "He started it," she murmured.

          "Oh, yea, sure—_blame_ it on someone else why doncha?" He asked, pretending to be angry.

          "Go on, kid; scat—she's got work to do."

          "Cid, can't he stay?"

          "No."

          "Damn," she growled under her breath. She kissed Riku quickly before he headed for the door. Cid spoke again.

          "Unless he's got 'is hands tied up."

          Riku stopped and looked back at Zephyr, who, in turned, started to smile mischievously. "C'mere," she told him, beckoning with one hand and unwinding the rope that served as her belt with the other. "Hold out yer hands." Dazed, he obeyed, and Zephyr gently bound them. "That work?" She asked Cid, who was trying everything he could to keep from bursting out laughing.

          "This is embarrassing," Riku said, point-blank. He noticed exactly _how_ much bigger Zephyr's clothes were than she was and raised his eyebrows—without the belt, her jeans fit around her hips, but there was room for another person in the waistband. She noticed he was staring.

          "I know," she smiled. "Jeans with a guest room."

          "Less talk, Zephyr," Cid told his assistant. She growled a little, but stopped talking anyway. Her hands soon became nearly completely covered in black dirt, caked into her nails. She wiped them on her pants and kept working.

          "Leon's been weird today," Riku said out of nowhere. "He looks like he's gonna kill someone."

          "That's how 'e always looks," Zephyr said.

          "No, I mean he looks like he's actually gonna _do_ it," he said with a shudder. "I'd hate to be the person he's after."

          "He said anything?" Cid asked.

          "No, not really. He mumbled something about Yuffie, but I know he'd never hurt her." He glanced sidelong at Zephyr, who had slowed her work pace.

          "Yuffie's been upset, too. She's got the idea in her head that she's too young fer 'im," she said. Cid smacked his forehead.

          "Not _that_ again."

          "What?" Zephyr looked up. "Oh, yea, Aerith said something about Yuffie thinking she was too young another time, too. Was it bad?"

          "She was _pathetic,"_ the pilot replied. "But she was over that. I thought. We all thought. But—_why the hell did she bring that up again?"_ He asked the ceiling. "Good God."

          "From how she was talkin', I'd say someone _else_ brought it up an' it upset 'er," Zephyr said with a shrug before scratching a clump of dirt from a bracelet. "I think she's taking it too serious."

          "It was something she was really concerned about," Cid said. "It took a while for Squa—Leon to convince her that he didn't care that she was younger. No one else seems to have a problem with it."

          "Well, evidently _someone_ does—why else would she be so upset?"

          "Leon's prob'ly out tryin' to find who it was. I juss hope he won't actually kill anyone, or else he'd have a lot to answer for," Riku said. "There's not a lotta people here. It'd be noticeable if someone went missing."

          "What a pleasant thought," Cid mumbled.

          "Who could it've been?" Zephyr had put down her work now, and tucked her dagger away, hidden somewhere in her jeans. "Have either 'a _you_ ever seen anyone sorta—express apathy or hateful glares towards them? Or is this a first? I wouldn't know—I 'aven't been 'ere all that long.

          "No," Cid answered. "No one ever really—it's like no one noticed."

          "Should we keep an eye on 'im?" Riku asked. At their confused looks, he explained. "Leon—should we watch out an' make sure that 'e doesn't do something he could get in trouble for?"

          "Not a bad idea," Zephyr said, standing up and brushing scrapings from her clothes. She cleaned up her space and put the cleaned accessories away. "Cid, everything I cleaned up yesterday is under the counter an' you can pull it out whenever," she said.

          "Right." He didn't look up from whatever he was looking for in a drawer. Zephyr grabbed Riku by the ropes that still bound his hands together and started out the door. "Zephyr, wait a minute. Go bring out what you cleaned up yesterday."

          "I already di—"

          "Don't argue, just do it."

          "But I already—"

          "That's an order!"

          "All right, all right." She waited for him to find them under the counter, where she had put them—just as she had said before. Just as the pair exited, Riku caught sight of Cid talking to the ceiling again, appearing to mouth the words, "Why me?"

          "Hey, Zephyr—kin I have my hands back now?" He asked after they had been walking for a little while.

          She looked down at her belt rope and his hands. "Nah, I think I like it better this way."

          _"Why?"_

          "Cuz if I let you go, you'll tickle me," she pulled the straps back up onto her shoulders when they slipped again. She continued to lead him around by his hands, using her one free hand to keep her jeans on.

          Leon was looking throughout the town, on a quest to find the man who had insulted them the previous day, prepared to slice him in two with his Gunblade—or even _better,_ he could kill him slowly. Slowly and painfully. Or cut both of his arms off and cut his tongue out and let him live that way forever. Or—

          "What've you been _looking_ for?" Cloud asked. He had been following Leon for quite some time, trying to get his attention, to no avail. Now that he was stopped in front of the café, he could finally speak to him.

          "I'll know once I find 'im," he said, looking around.

          "Who? What happened?"

          "I'll explain later."

          Aerith appeared at Cloud's side and rubbed against his arm. "Someone's upset Yuffie," she whispered. "I'm guessing he's set on finding him and getting his revenge."

          "Oh, no. Bloodshed—that's not something we need." Cloud sighed. Then, curious, he asked, "What happened, anyway?" Aerith stood on her toes and whispered the details to him.

          Suddenly, Leon took off like a bullet, like a cheetah that had just found a gazelle. He was headed towards the same man who had caused this whole mess in the first place, and neither of them doubted that he would commit murder.

          "Oh, shit," was all Cloud said before taking off after him. Sora and Kairi exited the café at the noise to see what was up, and when Sora saw what had happened, he, too, sped off after Leon, not wanting anyone killed. Kairi looked up at Aerith, confused.

          "That can't be good."

          "It isn't," the Flower Girl said flatly.

          The stampede went through the First District, eventually ending up near the doors to the Third, where Leon tired and slowed and Cloud caught him. He had to smash the smaller man across the head and knock him unconscious in order to get him to stop thrashing.

          "You caught 'im?" Sora asked, winded.

          "Yep. I gotta get 'im back to the café so I can get some ice."

          "Why?"

          "I smashed his head. He's out cold."

          "Of course," Sora chirped with mock understanding. "Physical injuries to the head. I mean, come on—what're friends _for?"_

          They were greeted in the café by Kairi and Cid, both of whom asked what in the _world_ had happened. Once Cloud explained, he asked where Aerith had gone. Only Kairi could answer, and she didn't know where she had gone.

          "What about Yuffie?" Cid asked.

          "She left a while ago. She din' look like she wanted to be followed, so me'n Aerith stayed here." She looked over at Leon. "Is he gonna be okay?"

          "Yea. Just get a little ice," Cloud said. The doors opened and Riku came in, one hand over his mouth, followed by a very guilty-looking Zephyr. Riku went right for the kitchen with the intention of getting ice.

          No one spoke for a while, even after Riku came out, sucking on an ice cube.

          "All right, I'm gonna hate myself in a matter of seconds fer asking this, but curiosity is gonna get the best 'a me eventually," Sora sighed and put a hand over his eyes, as though that would help soften the blow. "What happened?"

          His friend spat the ice cube out into his hand and Zephyr turned to him. "Don't say it," she begged. He ignored this.

          "She bit my tongue."

          Again: silence. Zephyr was a brilliant shade of red.

          "I didn't do it on purpose! Din' draw blood, either." She crossed her arms over her chest and pouted.

          "I'd ask how, but I've long since learned not to ask unless I really think I kin handle an answer," Cid told no one in particular, breaking the silence again.

          Leon groaned, coming out of his faint with a hand to his head where Cloud had hit him. "Who keeps tilting the room?" He demanded as he sat up on the table where Cloud had dropped him. He was leaned to one side, apparently trying to fix the alleged "tilt."

          "Hello, Sleeping Beauty," Zephyr said sweetly. "Have a nice nap?"

          "What day is it?" Leon asked.

          "It's—" she couldn't finish, as she herself didn't know the date—she rarely did. [A/N: Me either…]

          "Saturday," Kairi supplied.

          "Oh." He sat up, looking dazed. "What month is it?"

          "March," she replied. Now everyone was getting a little worried.

          "Okay. So what year is it?"

          "Someone shut him up!" Zephyr yelled. Leon looked in her direction and frowned deeply.

          "Hey—wait a minute, I know you. We're enemies, aren't we?"

          "Cloud, don't ever hit him again. You prob'ly took out half his brain!" Sora plopped himself into a chair.

          "That's pretty bad, too, since he only used 'bout half of it to begin with."

          Leon seemed to have snapped out of his idiotically dazed state. "I gotta go—I got unfinished stuff to attend to." He made for the door, but Cloud blocked it with himself and Cid grabbed the younger man's shoulder. While Cloud was like a brick wall, Cid had a more difficult time holding Leon back. The simple explanation for the phenomenon was that once Leon had his mind set to do something, only death, the Apocalypse, or Yuffie could stop him from doing it.

          "Hey, big guy, slow down! Stop'n think!" Sora got up from his chair and went over to try and help Cid.

          "Don't try'n talk to me about this, kid, or I'm likely not to do it!" Leon pushed further forward. He had his Gunblade drawn and was fully intent on the door. Riku charged into him from the front and sent both him _and_ Cid sprawling backward.

          "Someone sit on 'im 'fore 'e gets up again!" Zephyr yelled. Too late—the swordsman had rolled to his knees and gotten to his feet.

          "Cloud, move," he hissed. "That jackass is gonna pay."

          "Put the sword down," Riku said, now becoming extremely nervous.

          "What did he _do?"_ Kairi asked. "Why're you so desperate to just get up and kill him?"

          "We heard him talking about us, with his wife—they said some pretty horrible things. Remember when Yuffie was paranoid and kept thinking that she was too young? Well, they were sayin' stuff like that. It hit 'er pretty hard."

          Kairi and Zephyr looked at one another—Leon was out for blood for the same reason that had Yuffie completely melancholy. Leon was headed for the door again.

          "Hey, come on, calm down!" Riku said, getting in front of him. He was shoved over, landing a few feet away. Zephyr hissed and leaped from her chair to the bar, then onto Leon's back, using her arms to choke the daylights out of him and was biting at his neck.

          Cid grabbed her before she did any more damage and flung her to the side. She was still growling, but didn't attempt to go back and attack again. Riku stared at her, wide-eyed.

          "What?" She asked.

          "I toldja she was an animal," Sora told his friend smugly.

          "That's not a bad thing," Riku whispered back.

          Leon got up again. The swordsman was obnoxiously determined to take revenge upon whatever poor soul had angered him to begin with. He made his way to the door again—Cloud had moved from it when Zephyr had attacked him.

          This time it was Kairi who stopped him from going out the door—she, too, leaped on his back, but was slightly heavier than Zephyr and pulled him back long enough for Cloud do get back in front of the door. Sora hit him upside the head, and his lights went out again.

          Aerith had found Yuffie in the Waterway—it was silly that she hadn't thought to look there to begin with. It was her second-favorite place to be, only after the hotel—but only the latter if Leon was with her. Now she was sitting and staring blankly off at the painted wall at the other side of the cavern. The Flower Girl sighed heavily and made her way carefully over to her, trying not to totally soak her clothing. She loomed over the young ninja's head.

          "Enough of this."

          Yuffie looked up.

          "I can understand that you're upset—I would be, too, were I in your situation. But now you're just drowning in depression and it's getting, to say the absolute least, obnoxious." She was being atypically forceful as she stood over her friend with her fists planted on her hips. "I've _never_ known you to be so… so… I've _never_ known you to _ever_ give a damn about what _anyone_ else thinks about you—except with Leon, but that was another story all together. You never cared about anyone else's opinions but your own. So why start now?"

          She looked back across the water and didn't say anything. Now Aerith stomped her foot, causing the other girl to look back up at her.

          "Say _something_ just so I know you aren't deaf."

          With a sigh, Yuffie said softly, "What if they were right?"

          "Who?"

          "Those people. They said I was too young for him. What if they're right, and I _am_ too young for him, and we _shouldn't_ be together?"

          "I don't know—_what if?"_ Aerith yelled. It took a lot to fuse her temper like this—and evidently, this was all it needed. "Whatif thoughts don't _count."_ Yuffie only sighed. Aerith cried out, aggravated, and stomped out of the Waterway, this time not caring whether or not her dress got wet. "If you want to wallow in depression forever, that's _fine_ with me! But don't say no one ever tried to help you!" She called from the entrance. When there was no answer, she headed for the hotel, where she could exchange her soaked clothes for dry ones, before the water started to evaporate and make her itch.

          On her way back out, she walked into Kairi, who asked, "Where'd ya go?"

          "I went to look for Yuffie. She's in the Waterway."

          "Didja talk to 'er?"

          "Yes. Well, I tried to."

          "What's the word?"

          "Pathetic."

          "That bad, huh?"

          There was a loud "thump" from outside the hotel as something hit the doors. A familiar voice demanded, "Hey, who put that door there?" Zephyr opened it and walked in with a hand to her forehead. Both Kairi and Aerith were staring at her. "What're you lookin' at?" She snapped.

          "Among your other abilities, you are sufficiently talented at hurting yourself," Aerith said simply.

          "It's my gift," the small girl said with a shrug. "So what were you guys saying about Yuffie?"

          "She's still pathetic in the Waterway," Aerith explained.

          _"Still?"_ She sighed. "What's she sayin'? Or is she just sorta slumping around and saying as little as possible to answer questions or subtly tell you to shove off?"

          "Yes."

          "Both?" She received a nod. "Well, what's she said?"

          "She's upset still because of those people who hit that one little weak spot on her. She keeps wondering if they were right. It's so stupid."

          Zephyr frowned deeply.

          "Zephyr?" Kairi cautiously put a hand on her shoulder.

          "Where'd you say she was? The Waterway?"

          "She was last I checked, which was only a few minutes ago," the Flower Girl said.

          Without another word, she made a mad scramble for the entrance to the Waterway to talk some sense into her friend. Aerith and Kairi followed, curious to see what was going to happen, and who would come out in one piece and who would be carried out in sections.

          Zephyr struggled through the water and along the stones on the side. She never went in the deep water because it came over her head, and she couldn't swim. With all the grace of a chicken with a broken leg, she made her way to where Yuffie sat, still in the same place as before, and staring ahead at the day-and-night mural painted on the far wall.

          "Yuffie!" Her voice echoed off of the walls. Aerith and Kairi had made it into the Waterway as well, and watched the scene closely.

          "Zephyr," she replied without looking up.

          "Yuffie, get up. Come out of here an' stop pining over this stupid little… this _stupid_ thing you've twisted yer _own_ mind into believing!" She hissed threateningly. "So it hit a weak spot—big deal! It's just _one person, _Yuffie!"

          "Come on," Aerith whispered to Kairi as the pair made their way closer to the unfolding scene before them. Both of them hoped that this wouldn't lead to violence. Yuffie was strong and quick; Zephyr was just as quick, and because of her lack of physical strength, she carried a dagger with her wherever she went. Curgra could only patch up _so much…_

          "Zephyr, you don't get it," Yuffie told her. "Next to Squall, I'm just a baby. He's older than I am—a _lot_ older than I am. There's a nine-year age crevasse between us."

          "You idiot, nine years isn't a crevasse—it's barely even a crack in the sidewalk!" She threw her hands up in disdain. "The on'y reason nine years _sounds_ like such a gap is because he's in his twenties and your still a teenager. When you get older, it ain't gonna sound s'bad. When you're twenty-eight, he'll only be thirty-seven. That dun sound bad. But it's _exactly the same distance_ as you've got _now."_

          Still not convinced, Yuffie protested again, "But it's not—"

          Zephyr reached out and slapped her across the face as hard as she could with the back of her hand. It took Yuffie completely by surprise. It left a red mark on her face and an even _worse_ red mark on the back of Zephyr's hand—apparently she had done more damage to herself than she had done to the ninja, but she had gotten her message across.

          "Willya stop arguing with _everything_ I say?" She asked, attempting to hide a look of pain in her eyes at the self-inflicted injury she'd gotten when she slapped Yuffie.

          "Owch," was all she said, putting one hand to her cheek where she'd been hit. "Don' _do_ that ever again! That _hurt!"_

          "Yea, well, I won't do it if ya promise to think about what' you've been obsessing over fer the past _day."_

          Yuffie sighed heavily. "I dunno…"

          Zephyr yelled something incoherent at the ceiling and stomped off. As she passed Aerith and Kairi, she told them at the same time, "All righty, I'm pissed off. It's _yer_ turn, now."

          "Hey, Yuffie, you okay?" Aerith tripped into the water on her way to check and see if her friend needed medical attention. With exception of the mark on her cheek, she was fine.

          "Y'know, she's right," the ninja stood, looking at her friend.

          "Who?" Kairi asked once she had caught up.

          "Zephyr. She was right."

          "Like she usually is," Aerith said tartly. "She's too smart for her own good."

          "Yea, well…" she trailed off. "She was right. She was right. I love Squall an' I shouldn't care what anyone else thinks. And, in all truth… I really don't."

          "Finally!"

          "Now ya gotta go tell Leon 'fore he does something horrible!" Kairi took her hand and attempted to lead her out of the Waterway. Yuffie had to wrench her hand away and went on her own accord.

          "Where was he last time ya saw 'im?" She asked.

          "The café, but we dunno if he's still there," Aerith answered. "Look around first."

          In the café, a fight was still going on as Cloud, Cid, Riku, and Sora fought with Leon, trying to keep him contained before he killed the old man who had caused everything. They had found out what his name was—Parraz.

          "I'm not gonna kill 'im, I'm just gonna throttle 'im a little!" Leon struggled to get the words out as he tried to drag Cloud across the floor to the door, as the soldier had latched his hand around Leon's arm to stop him from going anywhere.

          "Fer cryin' out loud, man, juss _drop it!"_ Cid had barricaded the door with a table and a few chairs, but he knew that it wouldn't stop the young swordsman from getting out.

          Now he was going from persistent to aggressive. He thrashed, trying to get loose from Cloud's grip. Sora and Riku, though they were small, tried to block him from going further, resulting in Riku falling and being trod on. Sora picked up a pitcher from one of the tables and dashed it to pieces on his head. Leon stood straight for a minute, face and eyes blank; in a matter of seconds, he keeled over and hit the floor, out cold.

          "This just ain't his day, is it?" He asked as he nudged his victim with his shoe. "Y'okay, Riku?"

          "Yea," he said hoarsely. Except for underneath the shoeprints, he felt fine. He glanced at Leon and winced—he didn't look very good. One too many smashes on the head for one day, most likely. "So what're we gonna do about him? We can't just leave 'im here."

          "Oh, yes we can," Cid made for the door.

          "And if Yuffie notices that he's missing?" Cloud asked, leaning casually against the wall, arms crossed. "She'll fly into furious rage. You guys've seen her mad before, but when she's _really_ pissed she can be worse than—worse than—"

          "Worse'n _you?"_ Sora asked jokingly. The soldier shot him a glare. The boy swallowed hard.

          "Ah, stash 'im in the kitchen," Cid suggested in a don't-care tone of voice. "When he comes to, he won't remember what happened or how he got 'ere. If we're lucky, he won't even remember what happened at _all_ over the last day-an'-some. So juss go stash 'im in the kitchen, and cross yer fingers that Yuffie dun find 'im. She's pretty damn good at guessing what happened."

          "Right," Riku looked down at Leon who was sprawled out on the floor. "So how're we gonna do this? Just drag 'im?"

          "No idea," Cloud went for the door. "But it's _yer_ problem now, I dun wanna help with it. I've done _enough_ today already." With that he left, mumbling something about utter stupidity under his breath. Sora wrinkled his nose.

          "We all know that yer juss anxious to go find Aerith!" He yelled out the door after him. There was no reply for a full three seconds. Then a stone came zipping by, missing Sora by only inches. "Ha, ha! You missed!"

          Riku cracked the side of his head from behind. "C'mon, lazy, you gotta help me move 'im!"

          "Oww." He rubbed his head where he'd been hit; Cloud could be heard laughing some distance away.

          It took a little trial-and-error before they succeeded in cramming Leon in the pantry in the kitchen. Some towels folded and piled together provided him with a pillow, and other than that, there was really nothing else to do with him.

          "I can't imagine the headache he's gonna have when he wakes up," Riku commented. "But I think we better get outta here 'fore he wakes up and wreaks havoc on the first thing he sees."

          "Hell hath no fury like enraged swordsman awakened," Sora said solemnly. [A/N: Say _that_ without spraining yer tongue!] "Anyone knew where Kairi went?"

          "With Zephyr and Aerith, I think," Cid told him with a shrug. "Or she could be at the hotel. I dun really know."

          "Ah, crud." He scuffed his feet on the floor and headed out, calling back over his shoulder, "Ya comin'?"

          Riku hadn't been paying attention. "Hm? Oh. Uh, not right now. I'll probably hang around here 'fore I turn in." He glanced towards the kitchen. "An' make _sure_ he dun wake up."

          "Yer suffering from paranoia, kid," the pilot said. "He's sturdy, but he ain't made outta steel, ya know. So he's not gonna wake up fer a while." He shrugged and stood up, intent on the door. "I'll leave she shop open fer ya. Zephyr prob'ly won't hear ya, so I'll leave the doors unlocked an' hide the key under the couch cushions." And he, too, left. "'Night, kid."

"Where _is_ he?" Yuffie was up at dawn and looking for her lover, who hadn't turned up the previous night, and not Aerith, Kairi, or Zephyr knew where he had gone. She'd succeeded in waking all three—though waking Zephyr was a task that only a greatly talented few could do. It involved tipping the surface on which she slept over and dumping her to the floor.

          "Can't it wait til _morning?"_ Kairi groaned.

          "Bitch, bitch, bitch," Zephyr snapped. She was grouchy and bitchy in the morning, as well, but she had made it perfectly clear that she wouldn't put up with other people's crap—especially before ten-thirty in the morning, when she became at least mildly more tolerant of the rest of the human race. But only mildly.

          "No, I wanna find 'im! I'd'a gone an' looked fer 'im last night, but I couldn't find 'im _then,_ either!" The ninja had broken into a trot, and then a run, her companions stumbling sleepily behind.

          A silhouette of a man blocked the door to the café. The shape was unmistakable: Leon. Yuffie stopped dead in her tracks, causing Aerith, Kairi, and Zephyr to collide with her, one after another, and flop them all onto the ground in a pile with the smallest girls buried in the middle. Yuffie crawled out first.

          Leon was still standing in the doorway, an amused look on his face. Experimentally, the young ninja called out hesitantly, "Squall?"

          "Leon."

          Anyone who didn't know what was going on may have thought that she was on fire from the way she charged at him. In an eye-blink she was clinging to him, legs around his waist and holding fistfuls of his hair.

          "How long d'ya give 'em 'fore they come up fer air?" Zephyr asked casually.

          "I'd say about a minute," Kairi suggested.

          "Probably right."

          They turned back to the scene in front of them—it was like sitting right up close to an old romance movie. She had torn her lips from has and was kissing every place she could get to; he was returning the favor. Neither seemed to care that there were people watching. As it should be.

          "They patched it up?" A male voice behind them asked. Zephyr screeched and shot nearly a foot off the ground as she turned to maul whatever had scared a year off of her life. When she saw who it was, however, she took her hand back and instead just hissed at Riku. She loved him too much to want to hurt him. Badly.

          "Don't sneak up on people! Y'almost gave me a coronary!" She grabbed him by the shoulders and gave him a good shake.

          "Exactly _how much_ caffeine is in her system?" Kairi whispered. As they spoke, Cloud and Sora made their way over, and in due course, Cid showed up, too.

          "I guess she got over it, huh?" The pilot asked.

          "Yep, I'd say that," Sora answered in a monotone sort of voice, as though he were making some neutral remark about the weather.

          _"Disgusting!"_ They heard a repulsed voice say softly. All heads except for Leon's and Yuffie's turned to see—it was Parraz and his wife. None of them knew who it was for certain, but they had an idea. The woman went on. "Look at them! They don't care what's going on around them. They don't care that people are watching them."

          "Why couldn't he just leave the poor girl alone?" (This remark by Parraz had all seven of them completely baffled—it was quite obvious that Yuffie was enjoying this just as much as Leon was. Anyone who said otherwise must've missed something.) The man began again, stretching the truth more and more as he went. "They're not even _married,_ and they _still_ act like that in the middle of a public place where anyone could see them! They _live_ together in a _hotel,_ of all places. He must be ten—perhaps _more_—years older than she is. It is completely dissolute!" His wife disappeared, but Parraz himself remained in one spot, mumbling to himself.

          Other remarks went slightly unnoticed as it became obvious that this was upsetting Zephyr. She bristled, a low growl rising in her throat. She pulled herself up onto a ledge and inched toward Parraz while her companions could only watched—wide-eyed, looking from her to her impending victim and back again. No one moved—or breathed—and no one thought she'd do anything.

          When she was within her own leaping distance of him, she nearly flew towards him with the one intention of _kill._

          "Ohshit." Riku made a mad dash after his half-crazed girlfriend before she bit the man and possibly infected him them with rabies. He made it in time to grab her around the waist and pick her up. She twisted in his arms, growling.

          Sora went to help his friend, while the others, knowing better than to interfere with these death matches, sat down to watch.

          "Zephyr, calm down!" Riku whispered, trying to enforce the order, but to no effect. She was still trying to get at Parraz to avenge the damage he'd done to one of her friends.

          "Lemmie—go," she struggled and pulled forward, throwing her center of gravity ahead like a draught horse pulling a cart. "I just wanna take a chunk outta his head—I won't kill 'im too bad!"

          Riku collapsed himself on her, smashing her to the ground. Her voice was muffled beneath him, but nonetheless, it only dimmed the color of the language she yelled at him, along with threats that only _he_ knew would not be carried out.

          Sora took hold of her by the scruff of her neck like a cat. This caused her to squall and hiss, drawing Parraz's attention. Riku quickly took hold of her again, and she twisted to get away.

          "What is _this?"_ The man said in total revulsion. "That girl is a wild animal. Is she yours?" He looked at Riku the same way one might look at something disgusting stuck to the bottom of their shoes.

          "Define—'yours,' if you—don't mind," he struggled to keep Zephyr from sliding away. Despite her lack of physical strength, she was wily and extremely slippery. Trying to keep a grip on her was not unlike trying to hold a greased watermelon. She got out of the circle of his arms and straightened her self up, looking _way_ up at Parraz.

          "Sir," she spoke with as much dignity as she could. "Those happen to be my friends you are insulting. What they do is their business, and it would be just as immoral for _you_ to prod where you shouldn't."

          "What would _you_ know?" He looked down his nose at the small girl before him. "You're only a child. You shouldn't be around these young men at your age."

          Zephyr narrowed her eyes and behind her, Sora murmured a quiet, "Uh-oh. Bulls-eye."

          "My age would be what, Sir, may I enquire?"

          "Twelve. Or thirteen."

          "You judge." Her eyes were narrowed slits by now. "I'm sixteen."

          "Liar."

          Without saying anything else, she lunged, but Sora caught her shirt and pulled her back down, holding onto her in hopes that she wouldn't slip away. She nearly did, and he crushed her to the point where she squeaked.

          "Can't control something that small… you—"

          This time it was Riku that lashed out—with his fist. Parraz fell into an empty crate, lifeless. He was still breathing, but Riku had given him quite a hit. He turned and clenched his fist, giving solid evidence that he'd hurt himself.

          "Bravo," Leon said from the doorway, greatly amused.

          Zephyr struggled out of Sora's arms and hit the floor. Her arms and ribs hurt from being crushed by him.

          "Hold still," Aerith told the girl as she squirmed away from her hold. Riku clenched and unclenched his fist, and replaced an ice pack. He'd given the old man quite a hit and given _himself_ quite the bruise, as well.

          Zephyr still twisted, despite Aerith's numerous attempts to make her sit still so she could use Curgra on her properly—one of her ribs had popped when Sora grabbed her.

          "Yer such a wuss," he told her with a smirk. She glared daggers at him as Aerith worked.

          "Well, if you din' _grab me like that,_ I'd no _be_ like this now!"

          "If you acted like a human being instead of some wildcat, then I wouldn't've hadda grab you to keep from mauling a man to death."

          "You act like his stupidity was _my_ fault!"

          "No, it was his fault—he was 'is own jackass. But you can't go biting everyone that you don' like."

          "I don't. If I did, you'd have a ton 'a holes in ya."

          "Animal."

          "Showoff."

          "Assassin."

          "Jackass."

          "Bitch."

          Having run out of insults, she hissed at him and staled into the café. Riku took the vacant chair.

          "Y'know, you could at least _try_ to get along with my girlfriend," he said.

          Sora shrugged. "At least we're not hitting each other with anything bigger'n our hands, setting traps, attempting assassination, or throwing bombs."

          "Absence of adverse gestures does not constitute 'getting along,' you know!"

          "On the other hand, it's better'n nothing," the speaker was Kairi. They both turned to look at her. She shrugged. "Just spitballing." She looked around. "Where'd Yuffie go?"

          "D'you really hafta ask that?" Zephyr leaned out of a window.

Yuffie leaned on Leon's bare chest. He was seated on a table with his feet on the chairs, and she had perched on the balcony. The night was cooler than previous ones. Too nice to stay indoors. She sighed pleasantly.

          "Sorry for taking all of this so…" she couldn't find the words.

          "Gracelessly?" He offered. She tilted her head back to look at him.

          "That works." She turned to face him. Even with the darkness outside and his back to the lights inside, she could still clearly see his face. Stretching out as much as she could, she kissed him softly. He curled his hands around her arms and pulled her back when she tried to sit back down.

          After some time, they sat there; Yuffie was melted back into him, and he had both arms wrapped around her and his head resting atop hers. Neither said a thing. They didn't need to. Their actions spoke for themselves.

                                                                                                  ~*~

Love is patient.

Love is kind.

Love does not judge.

Love does not envy.

Love does not boast.

Love is not proud.

Love is not cruel.

Love always trusts.

Love always hopes.

Love never fails.

                                                                                                  ~*~

Wow. Another long one. I don't own the last little blurb. I don't know who does, but it isn't me so don't get mad. If, coincidently, you happen to know, please tell me!

I would like to thank my reviewers for being so kind as to drop me notes. But in particular, this part has been dedicated to Snowri Leonheart, without whose Leon/Yuffie fics, (particularly "You Don't Care") I do not believe anyone would really be writing L/Y. She has more written on this couple than anyone else does. So go read hers, too. They are _very_ good fics, definitely worth reading. It's from reading _her_ fics that I got my ideas. *showers Snowri with confetti and flowers* Ah, geez, I hope yer not allergic to any of these, Snowri…

And for my next fic, I'll let you guys decide what you want, so tell me in a review which of these you'd like to see done next: (Keep in mind also that I have no life, so, at some point or another, these will most likely _all_ get done.)

Sora/Kairi fic

Riku/Zephyr *ducks thrown objects*

Cloud/Aerith (I will need help with that, if I do it, because I never played that specific game.)

A lover's spat between pretty much anyone—you tell me. They'll make up (and out) in the end. ^_~

Another Leon/Yuffie

…Or if you have an idea I haven't thought of, then please, by all means, tell it to me in a review and I'll see where I can go with it.                                    


	6. Straight From the Authors' Mouth

_AAAAUUUURRRRGGGG!!!! _Writer's block and monotony are bad enough by themselves, and when they _both_ strike at the _same time,_ it's _horrible!_ Not only am I so bored that _homework_ is keeping me somewhat amused, but I also am totally blank for things to write! I can't think of anything—and I mean _anything!_ Oy vei.

So if anybody has _any_ ideas at _all,_ please, please, please, please, _please_ leave them either in a review or email them to me at GriffinRyder@smileyface.com. I'll accept any ideas with open arms, and I'll probably end up using most of them—and I will dedicate that chapter to the person who gave me the idea in the first place. So if that gets _anybody_ motivated, then… _please just gimmie and hand, here!_

I've been confining myself to my bedroom drawing horses of late, so, coincidently, if you like horses at all, I'll draw and scan one for you. _Any_ kinda horse—regular horse, unicorn, Pegasus, Alicorn (winged unicorn), dragon-unicorn… just describe it to me and I'll do it because I have absolutely _nothing_ to do.

Anyway—I think I'm done with my desperate plea for now. I'll accept _all_ ideas, I swear. (But if the idea is a Cloud/Aerith one, then yer gonna hafta help me cuz I know nothing of either of them.)

                                                                                                         ~the Vulpes Lapis


	7. Carry On, Men

Writer's block _kind of_ went away. But not entirely. I'm working on another part, as well, but it's not coming along well. Blah. So, in the meantime… enjoy!

Summary: A flu epidemic sweeps through the town, and one by one, the people begin to fall victim to the illness. Eventually, almost everyone is struck down and only two people who can still function properly—and are stuck taking care of everybody else.

If I hafta put up another disclaimer for someone who doesn't know it by now, I'll throw up right in their hair. I mean it.

                                                                                                            ~*~

"Do you even know what yer _doing?"_ A silver-haired blue-eyed boy, around in his mid teens, asked his companion—a small black-haired girl with mad gray eyes. She was using traction ropes attached to the ceiling of a cavern to get across, rather than go through the water where the boy, Riku, treaded water slightly.

          "No, actually, not really," was her reply as she tried positioning her hands and feet to get a better hold and be able to travel more easily. She yelped when her foot slipped on the damp, moss-grown ceiling, and Riku swam under her, intending to catch her if she fell, for the water came over her head and she could not swim.

          "This wouldn't happen if ya just let me teach you how to swim, Zephyr," he told her, voice frank.

          "I 'aven't fallen yet!" Was her retort. "Besides, you juss wanna have an excuse to get me to take my shirt off. Don' try'n deny it. I kin tell." She neither expected nor received an answer and continued her trek across the ceiling of the Secret Waterway located in the far back of the Second District on Traverse Town.

          Eventually, he asked, "Why won't you let me teach you? It'd save me a coronary or two."

          "Because I've tried to swim before, and every time I did, I failed miserably, and every time I had to be fished out of the water by the back of my shirt."

          "Oh, come _on,"_ he swam underneath her place on the ceiling and kept talking. "It's not that hard!"

          "It is if you sink."

          "But you won't. That's not possible."

          Zephyr stopped trying to move around and twisted so that she was looking down through a curtain of hair at him. "I sink like a stone. Just not buoyant."

          Riku was about to protest again that no one sank like that when she missed her grip and fell, as she was prone to doing, and landed in the water with a small splash. He waited for her to surface, but she didn't. She didn't even float to the top. In a panic, he dove to find her—she had fallen to the bottom of the water like a metal rod.

          After a few minutes of barking coughs, she burped and told him, "Thank you." Then she paused. "Tolja I sink."

          "Yer always so _competitive,_ ya know that?" He looked up at her as she stood and wrung the water from her hair and the hood of her sweatshirt, which she had cut the sleeves off of to suit the warmer weather.

          "No, I'm not," she said innocently.

          "Yes you _are,"_ he stood and faced her. She twirled a lock of her hair around her fingers as she looked at him.

          "Maybe I am," she said finally. "But…"

          "But _what?"_

          "But only if I know I'm right." A gust of wind blew in the damp Waterway and she shivered. Her clothes were soaked and her already too-heavy jeans were now even _heavier,_ and also stiff from being wet. "I gotta go put some dry clothes on—and no you may _not_ come." With that she scampered off, leaving him wondering not for the first time, and definitely not for the last, how she knew what he was going to say—before he said it.

          "What the hell happened to _you?"_ Sora had seen her heading up into the Item Synthesis shop to change and hung around outside the doors to ask that very question. A smirk came over his face.

          "It's got nothing to do with Riku, except for the fact that I embarrassed myself in front of him."

          "Whatcha do?"

          "Fell from the ceiling of the Waterway cavern and almost drowned," she said, wrapping herself firmly in a towel and shivering as a breeze blew by. That water had been _too_ cold for her liking. "So where's Kairi?" She asked him, having noticed that his "other half" was not present. She usually followed him everywhere, like a living, breathing shadow.

          He wrinkled his nose in distaste. "I dunno," he stated. "She wandered off a while ago, an' she din' come back." He had a rather upset look on his face and he sighed heavily.

          "It's not that big of a town, you know," she snapped. "You kin find 'er if you look around." She sneezed, spraying saliva down her front. "Eww…" she sniffled, and another sneeze came. And another. Sora moved away. "I'b dot sick." She sniffed again.

          "Sure."

          "I'b dot! Just… a chill frob being in the cold wadder." She sniffled again and cleared her nose so she could talk right again. "Ahh… much better."

          "Yer weird," he told her, shaking his head and beginning to walk away. He left her alone, shivering and cold. She was dry, but her hair was still wet and dripping down her back. It took three towels to keep the dampness from her shirt.

          Riku found her sitting on the steps outside of the Accessory Shop and put a hand on her shoulder from behind her.

          "Hey."

          Zephyr screeched and tried to stand, but instead rolled down the stairs and onto the street below; she looked up at him with a scowl on her face. "You shouldn't sneak up on people! Yer gonna give someone a heart attack!" She got to her feet and walked back up to her place and sat back down.

          "Actually, yer the only person who clears eighteen inches when I say hello. Or anyone else. Yer either over-caffinated, or high-strung. But knowing you, it could be both."

          "Thanks ever _so,"_ she turned to look at him with an expression that dripped sarcasm as much as her words did. The weather _had_ been warmer, but was starting to cool down again, meaning that they would have to get the thicker clothes out again. This time, Sora, Riku, and Kairi had their _own_ clothes, and would not have to go borrowing from other people, as they had had to do before.

          "Whatcha doin' out here, anyway? Stargazing?"

          She looked at him oddly, then looked up at the sky, telling him casually, "In case you hadn't noticed, there _are_ no stars out tonight." After a second, she asked, _"Is it_ tonight? Or is it still this afternoon? Or this morning? Or is it tomorrow already, in which case it would have to be morning, not night."

          After trying to decipher her words and failing he told her, "I'm confused."

          "Good, cuz so am I." She shivered a little bit.

          "If you're cold, why doncha go inside? Doncha have enough common sense to do that?"

          "It has been scientifically proven that common sense is, in reality, not so common after all."

          "Do you always have to have a comeback for everything I say?" He snapped.

          "Must you give me so many wonderful opportunities?"

          Riku opened his mouth to say something, but he couldn't think of anything to say and shut it again. Zephyr clicked the back of her tongue at him and winked as she got up to go inside where it was a little warmer. Kairi appeared from around a corner.

          "That would've been a good time for a snappy comeback," she said.

          "I know, I know," he said with a sigh. "But don't _you_ start saying things. You'll make her more right than she already is."

Around noon the next day, Yuffie found Zephyr sitting in a corner of the hotel lobby, face in her hands. Concerned, she trotted over and knelt next to her. But she figured out that her friend was fine when she attempted to grab her arm and tear it off. It was something she did.

          "Don't get defensive," she said, putting her hands up. She sat back on her heels. "What's up?" Zephyr took her hands away from her face. She looked very tired and her eyes looked a little dull. But she still had her attitude.

          "The sky," she replied with sarcasm.

          Yuffie sighed and tried again. "What events are presently occurring in your life?" She asked, using a long, drawn-out sentence like Zephyr usually used.

          "I have a headache," she said and buried her face back in her hands again. "And I was up all night. Or most of it, anyway."

          "Insomnia?" She asked.

          "No," Zephyr 's voice was sarcastic—like usual. "I'm conducting a one-person, controlled experiment to see how long I can go without sleep until I lose consciousness in the middle of the street." Yuffie evidently thought she wasn't joking. "Of course it was insomnia!" She snapped.

          "Hey, with you, I can never tell," the ninja said flatly. She sat back to avoid a smack across the face. "Someone's grumpy."

          "Yea, I know. When am I not?"

          Yuffie huffed. "Be that way," she said as she stood.

          "I shall, thank you," the girl replied, and put her hands back over her eyes. She waited for Yuffie to leave, which she eventually did. Groaning, she rubbed her eyes and slumped over in a heap on the floor. Her head was pounding and she was quite dizzy. She hadn't been able to eat anything all day, because even the sight or _smell_ of food made her feel nauseous. She figured she was probably just catching a cold and that in a day or so, she would be back to her old self—which really wasn't much different from her current bitchy attitude.

          "Y'know, yer 'other half' is being a bitch right now," Yuffie warned Riku when he announced that he was off to find her. Behind her, Sora muttered, "When _isn't_ she a bitch?"

          "Hey!" Riku turned and glared at him. "Why can't you just _try_ not to hate her?"

          "I will if she will," he offered, knowing that Zephyr would never offer a truce with anyone. The only person she had _ever_ offered a truce with was Leon, and that was just because their own friends were turning on them because of their fighting.

          "Why can't anyone get along with my girlfriend?" He asked, not wanting or expecting an answer. But he got one anyway.

          "Because I'm a heinous bitch?" She'd come up behind them unnoticed and startled Sora.

          "Don't you make any kind of _noise?"_ He hissed.

          "Depends on the situation." She rubbed her face tiredly and started off for the First District. Riku followed.

          "Where're you going?"

          "Back to bed," she told him. "I've been exhausted all day."

          "Aren't you always?"

          "No. I'm just not perky. It's different than being horribly lethargic." She yawned. "Now, if I can make it back to the Synthesis Shop before my body stops functioning…" she trailed off as she walked—more like stumbled—into the First District. She took her key and opened the upstairs door to her room, which, during the day, was the Moogle's Item Synthesis Shop. She barely made it to her cot before she fell into a very uneasy sleep.

          Cid became suspicious the next morning when Zephyr didn't come down into his shop. Eight-thirty, the time she usually showed up, had passed. So, too, did nine. Then ten. Then eleven. About noon he pulled himself up into the Item Synthesis Shop to find four of the tiny little Moogles pulling at Zephyr's sleeping form, trying to get her to wake up.

          "Hey—what the—?" he walked over and plucked them off one by one, and looked down at his sleeping assistant. She was fast asleep with her mouth open and murmuring incoherently in her sleep. "She not wakin' up?" He asked.

          "No," one of them squeaked. Cid knelt down next to her and shook her by her shoulder—_hard._

          "Zephyr! Wake up!" He almost yelled in her ear. Her eyes slid open slowly, heavily. They were bloodshot. Her face was paler than usual but her cheeks and lips were bright red. "Hey, Zephyr," Cid said in concern. "You look like you dun—"

          Before he finished his sentence, she heaved a huge sneeze almost directly into his face. He tumbled back and Moogles ran everywhere to avoid being squashed. He finished his sentence. "—feel too good."

          "I fink I hab a code…" Zephyr said, wiping her nose on her sleeve.

          "Ya don't say," was his sarcastic reply. He was no parental figure and rarely even took care of _himself_ properly when he was sick. "I'll go get Aerith. And in the meantime—go find a tissue or something and stop wipin' yer nose on yer sleeves! That's disgusting!"

          As he turned to leave, he heard Zephyr remark in an extremely sarcastic tone, "Yes, Daddy, right away." He rolled his eyes.

          "Aerith!" He yelled to her from across the street. The Flower Girl looked up from her reading.

          "What?" She called back.

          "Kin ya come here? Zephyr's sick," he said. From inside his shop, he heard a hoarse but very unrelenting voice call back, "I am _not!"_ To answer, he merely yelled, "Shut up, girl!"

          "Coming," Aerith got up and trotted over. When she got to the door, she cracked it open and peeked inside, preparing to slam it shut again if the girl tried to throw anything at her, as she was prone to doing when she was agitated. Zephyr did _not_ look well, and she gulped. Dealing with her when she was in a bad mood was only _slightly_ preferable to catching a spitting cobra with one's teeth.

          "I'b dot sick," she told her as she walked in and shut the door behind her. "Just a code." She sneezed again. Aerith produced a thermometer and put it in front of her mouth.

          "Under your tongue."

          "Duh-uh." Zephyr moved her head to avoid the glass tube. "I'b fide."

          "No, you aren't," she argued. When Zephyr opened her mouth to reply, Aerith used the opportunity to shove the thermometer into her mouth. "Keep it under your tongue!" She commanded. Zephyr glared bur didn't argue.

          "It's just a code. A few days ad I'll be back odd by feet again," she said around the thermometer.

          "Keep quiet," Aerith instructed as she went looking for a cloth and some cool water. There was no doubt she had a fever, but how high it was was still a mystery. While ber back was turned, Zephyr took the thermometer out of her mouth and shook it a little so that the liquid inside would go down and it would appear that she would have a normal temperature.

          When Aerith went and took it out, she looked at it and frowned. "Well, you don't have a fever…" she said.

          "Tolja," the small girl said triumphantly, crossing her arms over her chest,

          "You don't even have a _temperature."_ She stuffed it back into her mouth. "Now this time, put it under your tongue and _leave it_ there." This time, when she took it out, her expression was one of worry. "Oh dear…" she whispered.

          "What? Ab I interdally cooking to death?" She tried to see, but the numbers were too small to read.

          "Just about. A hundred and two." She placed the cloth on her forehead. "Looks like you'll be staying in bed for a day or so."

          "What?" Zephyr stood quickly, and the room began to spin. "Doe! Doe, I am _dot_ staying id bed for days ad a dime!"

          "Yes you are." Aerith pushed down on her shoulder until she sat again.

          "Can'd you use Cugra odd id or somfink?" She begged.

          "Cugra doesn't work on colds, dear," she put the cloth back on the girl's forehead when she lay back down. "You'll just have to give it time."

          With a groan, Zephyr flipped onto her stomach. "Why duz everyfink have to dake so long?"

          "Zephyr?"

          "What?"

          "Shut up and go to sleep."

          When she was outside, Cid asked her, "What's the word?"

          "It's just a cold. She should be better soon," she replied.

          "That's good. Things get hectic enough around here even _with_ her help. Looks like I'm gonna need to find some other kinda help." He sighed. "Maybe Riku'll help me out. He prob'ly won't pass up any kinda opportunity to get as close to that girl as he can, even if she _is_ sick."

          Aerith smirked. "In a way, I think it's kinda cute. They don't have to be all over each other all the time. They know how the other feels. Not like some other people…"

          "You mean like a skin graft?" Cid asked.

          "Not a bad analogy." She had seen relationships in which neither party ever let go of the other. Siamese Sweethearts. "Anyway. Just go up and make sure she's okay and make her drink, too. Make sure she doesn't get dehydrated."

          "Right," he nodded and stalked off toward his shop where he would have to go back to his old way of doing things, the way he handled the shop before Zephyr came, until he found someone else to help him.

          "Looks like you're in luck, Leon," Aerith told the man as he walked past. He looked confused.

          "Whatcha mean?"

          "Zephyr's sick today. Looks like you've got no one to fight with."

          "Zephyr's sick? With what?" Yuffie appeared from behind Leon.

          "A cold, most likely. But still, it's a good day or so before she'll be up and out again."

          "Good," he muttered.

          Inside, Zephyr tossed in her cot, trying and failing to get comfortable. Her head hurt and she could hardly breathe through her nose. She heard some activity downstairs and grinned in spite of her position. Cid was having difficulty dealing with the orders and things downstairs that she usually did. He was probably going to have his hands full until she was back on her feet.

          "Dammit, Zephyr, hurry up and get better up there!" She heard him yell up near the closed trapdoor. She giggled. "I've only got _two hands_ an' I can't do all 'a this myself!"

          At least she wasn't up to her elbows in heavy Gummi ship parts like she usually was around this time, except that she _did_ get time off for lunch, but that was normally spent with Riku.

          After what seemed like _hours,_ she fell asleep, and not enough time had passed before she woke up again, feeling just as sick as she had before. She rolled onto her side and curled up.

          "I take it you aren't feeling any better, Zephyr?" She heard Aerith's voice from across the room.

          Zephyr felt a great deal less than friendly, so she snapped back at her, "Get outta here."

          "Sorry, no can do," she came over and sat on the low counter across from her. "Not until you get better."

          The girl sighed, knowing that it was pointless to argue while her head hurt so. Aerith was easygoing, but every so often would show an obstinate side that rivaled Zephyr and Leon. Luckily, she didn't show it often.

          "I hate you," she growled. She watched Aerith pour some greenish liquid into a cup and hand it to her. Zephyr took a look inside the cup at it and sniffed it. The smell burned her nose. She coughed and looked away.

          "Drink up."

          "What _is_ that?" She demanded, sitting as far away as she could to avoid the foul liquid.

          "Cold medicine," the Flower Girl answered. "Now come on, drink it. It won't kill you." She handed over the cup, but the younger girl refused to take it. "Zephyr…" she said, impatient.

          "Duh-uh. Dot even if I was _dying."_ She cowered away. "I dun think I could stomach it." She looked closer at it. It smelled vile.

          "You can," Aerith said. "And you will. Now drink it or I'll _make_ you drink it, and you won't like it if I have to make you drink it." She thrust the cups into the small girl's hands.

          Cautious, she sniffed it and gagged. It smelled even stronger up close. "You doe, fer all it's worth, you'd bake a good buther," she told her, and poured the liquid down her throat. Immediately her stomach rebelled and she nearly threw it back up. Sputtering, she managed to get out, "What—was that?" After a pause, she amended, "Doe, don't tell be. Then I'll _definitely_ be sick!"

          Shaking her head, Aeith took something else out of her dress. It was another foul medicine, this one bright purple in color. Eyes wide, Zephyr backed up so quickly she fell off of the edge of her counter.

          "Doe! If you give be eddy more of those things, I'b godda _die!"_ She protested as she got back up. Too late—a small cup was already poured.

          "It'll get rid of your headache and help you sleep," she said.

          "I'b dot godda win, ab I?"

          "Probably not. You're too tired to bite."

          "When I'b better, yer as good as dead." She knew she would never actually hurt the Flower Girl, and if she went into one of her berserk rampages and actually _went_ after her, Cloud would stand in her way like a stone wall. She took the nasty medicine and almost gagged this one up, but willed her stomach to stay still and keep it down.

"Zephyr has earned my everlasting respect." Cid was talking out loud to nobody as he tried desperately to perform a complicated balancing act with numerous boxes in the back of the supply closet. His sick assistant had always made it look as though it was nothing to balance everything, but it seemed to him that every time he turned his back, something would fall, and create a domino effect with everything else around it.

          "Havin' a little trouble?"

          "Gah!" He almost dropped what he was holding. Yuffie had gotten into the shop without him knowing and was sitting on a couch, watching him with some amount of amusement.

          "Harder'n it looks, huh?" Her eyes had a wicked twinkle.

          "Shut up an' come over here. I need an extra set 'a hands," he snapped. Grinning, the girl obeyed, helping him get the packages stored away. Slowly, they backed out of the closet and Cid slammed the door shut _fast,_ before anything could decide that it wanted to fall.

          "I want my assistant back," the pilot groaned. "Of all people, why'd it have to be _her?"_ He sighed.

          "Because everything that _can_ go wrong _will,"_ Yuffie said.

          "Aerith, get up," Cloud nudged his love, but she wasn't showing any sign of getting up. She was laying face-down on the mattress, seeming quite lethargic. It was late and she didn't show any signs of wanting to get up. "Come on—"

          She picked up a pillow and hurled it at him, then grabbed another and covered her head with it, showing that she did _not_ want to be disturbed right then.

          "Aerith?" He frowned.

          "Go away," her muffled voice was hoarse. "I'b tired." She sneezed under the pillow but didn't get up.

          "You musta caught whatever Zephyr's got," Cloud said, looking down at the lump under the blankets.

          "What gave it away?" She growled.

          "Please don't tell me you caught her _attitude,_ too. The _last_ thing we need around here is _another_ Zephyr."

          Aerith lifted herself up and turned to glare at him. "If I could get up I'd smack you fer that." She fell back into the pillow. Slightly distraught, Cloud left the hotel, knowing that Aerith would take care of herself, and also knowing that she would show her aggressive side toward him if he hung around.

          On his way out, he saw Kairi heading for the hotel. "Morning," he said.

          "Is Aerith in? Sora's sick." She said, sounding a little like a concerned parent.

          "Oh, no…" Cloud groaned. "This thing is spreading. Now Sora's got it?" Kairi nodded in reply. He passed a hand over his eyes in frustration. "Aerith, too. I don't suppose you've got any nurse experience?"

          "Some. What about you?"

          Cloud screwed up his face. "No. Nursing patients was one thing I _wasn't_ expected to do as a kid."

          "I'll go find some cold medications," Kairi said with a heavy sigh. It seemed like _she_ was going to be playing "nurse" for some time, and people all over were starting to drop like flies. Two townspeople had come down with the illness, which was beginning to seem very much like the flu, from the symptoms that Zephyr was showing, and they were using her as the guinea pig since she was the first to have gotten sick.

          In her cot in the Item Synthesis Shop, Zephyr was feeling, to say the least, hellish. She felt like someone had taken one of Cid's ships and run her over, then put it in reverse and run over her again. She was shivering, but she was also sweating. And she felt so sick that she couldn't down anything, and Cid had threatened that if she _didn't_ start eating soon, he'd start her on intravenous meals. That had gotten her at least partially willing to try and down _something,_ since she hated needles.

          Even with Aerith's medicines and the continuous threats from Cid, she seemed to be getting progressively worse, not better. She had even threatened to kill the next person who went into her room, not knowing that it was Riku, but not really caring, either.

          Now she was fidgety. Part of her wanted to get up and _do_ something, rather than stay there like a bump on a log; the other part of her thought that "bump on a log" was too perky and wanted to be even less active than _that_. She reached as far as she could without getting up and grabbed her pack. From it, she withdrew a thick notebook and a pencil. She flipped to the next clean page and began drawing a horse. [A/N: Like I do… but not _just_ when I'm sick. Right, Keiko?]

          Kairi had gotten some medicines and went back to her and Sora's room with Riku and Cloud trailing behind her. She found Sora looking like a kicked puppy. He hadn't moved since she had left a little more than half an hour ago. When she sat at the edge of the bed, he rolled to look at her. He'd gone from flushed to colorless.

          "You brought company," he noted when he saw who her companions were. "Riku, how come yer dot with Zephyr?"

          "Cuz she said she'd kill me."

          Sora stared at him. "How—ah, dever bind. I dun think I'll _ever_ doe what you see id her." He sat up and sniffled.

          Kairi put a thermometer in his mouth. "Just to see how much you're cooking from the inside out."

          "How edcouraging," he said bluntly.

          "You look _real_ pathetic, you know," Riku said, point-blank.

          Sora glared daggers at him, obviously not amused. "Doe, ya _think?"_ He said around the glass tube in his mouth. "Why does everything around here have to be so _addoying?"_

          Before Riku could say anything, Kairi put one hand over his mouth and the other over Sora's. "Riku, shut up. Sora, keep yer mouth shut."

          Riku peeled his friend's hand from his mouth. Sora was trying to do the same. When she took it away and took the thermometer, he gasped.

          "Please don' _do_ dat," he said once he had gotten some air. "I couldn't breathe."

          Kairi squinted at the numbers, trying to read them. "Why do they make the numbers on these things so tiny? You need a magnifying glass just to see 'em."

          Riku glanced over her shoulder at it. "A hundred even." He said. Kairi frowned at him.

          "So I'b dot all _that_ sick," Sora said, going to get up. Kairi pushed him back down again.

          "Nope, yer stayin' here."

          "You sound like by buther," he told her. He rubbed his face tiredly. "I rebember last tibe I was sick at hombe…" he sighed. "By buther coming into by roob to check by temperature every ted binutes; Tidus outside with by dog, baking 'im bark don-stop; Wakka throwing his Blitzball against the side of by house; Kairi's cat dext to be odd by pillow… shapendding her claws odd by scalp." He threw himself back down on the bed with his arm over his eyes. "Damn, ab I glad I'b here."

          "Mittens never did that to you!" Kairi protested, meaning her cat. Sora looked at her with one eye.

          "Dot when you were watching. She dew better. Bud I swear—thad cat wanded be _dead."_ He was starting to fall asleep again, and Kairi ushered everyone out of the room.

          Cloud had waited until later, when he figured it would be a little safer, to visit Aerith and see if she was all right. She was mildly better and had apologized for snapping at him that morning. But she was completely dead, closely resembling a throw rug. Cloud thought that if he tried to pick her up, she would just flow out of his arms like water. But she'd fallen back asleep again and was thrashing, which was very unlike her. She usually stayed in one place.

          "More of 'em?" Cid asked when Cloud broke the news that Kairi was playing nurse for Sora, Zephyr, and also Aerith.

          "Yea," he sighed. "We might have to put 'em all somewhere, just so that they dun contaminate the whole town."

          "An infirmary?" The pilot asked.

          "Yup."

          Cid gave him a look. "Okay. _Where?"_

          Cloud looked up at the trapdoor leading up to the Item Synthesis Shop. "The Moogles will probably—"

          "D'you _really_ wanna your love up there with Zephyr when she's in such a bad mood? When _both_ of 'em are in such a bad mood? It'd be like putting a pair of wolverines in the same cage."

          "Aerith isn't like that," he protested.

          "Not when she's well. But you know how she can be if she's in a bad mood or if she's just sick."

          Cloud thought on this, and then sighed, seeing his friend's side of the argument. Not only were both Zephyr and Aerith ill and in a bad mood, but also Zephyr was as territorial as any _alligator._ "All right, you win."

          "An' I think you should prob'ly stay in a different room 'til she gets better."

          "I'll be all right."

          "No, I mean you might get what she has."

          Cloud snorted. "Come _on…_ you dun think I'll catch something _that_ easily, do you?"

          Cid shook his head and sighed, and then went back to trying to keep his shop running as smooth as possible.

          Leon and Yuffie had escaped into the Waterway together, away from the chaos outside. Yuffie was sitting down on a higher rock and Leon was trying to skip stones across the water.

          "So three're down," Yuffie said. "Who d'you think's gonna go down next?"

          Leon shrugged. He didn't _really_ know who would be hit next. He had a vague idea—Kairi, probably, would be a victim soon enough. And also (though he wouldn't dare say it) Yuffie. Then Riku. Cid would also be among the early victims. Cloud and himself would probably be the last two to fall, if they did at all.

          "Not even a little _idea?"_ Yuffie came and stood next to him. She could tell he was nervous about something, so either he was getting sick, or else he was hiding something, and she'd find out.

          "Not really."

          "Then why're you so nervous?" She put her hands on her hips.

          "Just worried."

          "About what?" Now _she_ was nervous. Did he have it?

          "I dun have it. I feel fine."

          Then…" she snapped her eyebrows together, and Leon winced—she'd figured it out. "You think _I'm_ gonna get it next, doncha?"

          "No… well, you probably _will_ get it. Everyone will, I'm sure."

          She sighed and shook her head. Then she shivered a little. "Look, it's cold down here. I'm goin' back inside." She began walking away. "You comin'?" He threw the rest of his stones down and scrambled after her.

Cid fell next. It was two days since this thing started, and he had seemed to be a bit lethargic the day before. But he was trying to hide it. But just around noon, he'd almost fainted in his shop, saved only because Leon was with him and had held him up until he got him to a couch. Kairi was busy with Sora, so instead Yuffie came to see what was going on, although there really wasn't much to look at. He had the symptoms—nausea, sneezing, sore throat, headache, and bitchiness.

          "I am _not_ acting like Zephyr!" He snapped.

          "Yes you are," Yuffie said, making him down twice the amount of medicine that Zephyr, Aerith, or Sora had taken because he was so much bigger. "You are an' you know it. Dun try'n deny it."

          Cid gagged on the medicine and snapped back, "I'm not denying anything!" It took him ten seconds before he realized what he had said and smacked a hand on his forehead. "Oww…"

          "Cid, you are no longer acting like Zephyr," Yuffie announced as she got up. Just as a look of relief washed over his face, she said: "You are acting like a ten-year-old."

          He gave her a nasty look. "If I could get up, I'd strangle you."

          Yuffie gave this no notice as she left. Cid would be all right, but she had locked up the store and turned the outside lights off. The Accessory Shop would be closed until this thing passed, it seemed. Just like the Item Shop. Two of the three ducklings, Dewy and Luie, had gotten sick, and the remaining brother had closed up so he could take care of them. For a bunch of baby ducks, they were remarkably responsible.

          Riku had also joined the makeshift hospital crew and was trying to take care of Zephyr, as he was the only person that she hadn't tried to attack yet. She'd discovered a new angle of attack for people—a spitting cobra-type attack, which worked much like that particular snake's venom because nobody wanted to catch what she had.

          Today, though, she was calmer, and slightly more sedate—though just _slightly._ Lately she had recovered enough of her strength to do more than just swear and spit at the people who came near her. But right now, she was sitting upright and leaning against a wall with her knees drawn to her chest, writing very quickly in a notebook.

          "What're you so intent on writing?" Riku asked. Like always, Zephyr jumped.

          _"Stop doing that!"_ She hissed. She put her pencil and the book down, but she closed it, so she obviously did _not_ want him seeing what she was writing. She rubbed her eyes.

          "Well, you 'aven't tried to kill me yet," he joked, going to sit on a countertop near the one she sat on. "So I guess yer feeling mildly more human?"

          "Uh-huh." She sighed, then turned to him, as if contemplating something. "Hey, Riku, how old're you?"

          He raised an eyebrow. "I thought you knew. I'm sixteen—same as you."

          "You you were born in eighty-seven." She paused. "What month?"

          He was confused, but he answered her anyway. "August." When she frowned, he got a little suspicious. What was she getting at?

          "All right, what _day?"_

          "August thirteenth*."

          A wide smile spread across the girl's face. Then she had to struggle to keep from laughing, and in doing so, she fell off of her counter. She gave up then and started laughing hysterically.

          "What's so _funny?"_ He looked over at her.

          It took a minute before she could get enough air to say, "I'm older!"

          "Huh?"

          "I'm older than you are! I'm August eleventh!" She fell down laughing again.

          Riku wasn't sure if this struck him as funny or as disappointing. His girlfriend was nearly having apoplexy over the fact that she was two days older than he was—but on the other hand, she was also so small she was often mistaken for a twelve- or thirteen-year-old. And she was older than him. He could understand why _she_ found it so funny—it was the only upper hand she had on him. She had gotten her breath back, and was now leaning on the counter.

          "Yer enjoying this, aren't you?" He asked, eyes narrow.

          "More than you think."

          Rather than argue with her, he decided to let her have her moment. Besides, if they _did_ argue, she would doubtlessly win. And if she didn't, she would to on a rampage. "Y'know, Cid got sick, too."

          "So I can hear." She pointed to the trapdoor.

          "You never miss a thing, do you?"

          "Only what's right in front of my face."

          "You mean like metal 'I' beams?"

          "Not in so many words."

          Meanwhile, Yuffie and Leon had stolen time away from their hospital crew and snuck into the back of the hotel. Yuffie had not gotten any sleep that night because Kairi had slowed down. She was beginning to think that her female companion had come down with the flu, and they would be up one patient, and short one nurse. Leon was of little help, and Cloud was _trying,_ but wasn't doing very well. They had all started trying to find ways to avoid catching it, but the only thing they could think of—don't _touch_ anything—was null and void because they _had_ to be in contact with their sick friends.

          "This is going from bad to worse, isn't it?" Leon asked. It was really a rhetorical question.

          "It went from Bad to Worse a while ago. Now I think it's going from Worse to Hell."

          "How reassuring…" he sighed. Some of their cases were more severe than others. Sora seemed to have gotten the worst case of all. He had to be fed or else he wouldn't eat, he hardly kept anything down, and he was sleeping nineteen hours a day. The other five was spent trying to get _back_ to sleep again. When he was awake, they tried to get him to eat something, before he slipped out of consciousness again.

          In addition to their friends, they were also starting to have to help with the other town residents, though there weren't many, because more and more were starting to get sick. This had turned into an epidemic. As days, and even _hours_ went by, more people got ill, and they had more patients and fewer doctors.

          "Men always make the _worst_ patients," Yuffie murmured as she made her rounds. Cid was being a pain again and trying to get up, but she wasn't letting him. "Sit still or I'll sedate you an' strap you down."

          "Doe you won't," he said as he struggled against the young ninja. He was limp and weak from his illness, and could be easily kept down, but he was trying anyway. "Look, I'm fine." He tried getting up, but he teetered. He attempted to prove his argument and take a step, but he flopped back onto the couch.

          "Cid, get some rest," she told him as she stood to leave.

          "I think I kin do thad…" the medicine had worked. He was out. With a relieved sigh, she climbed the ladder to check up on Zephyr. The girl was fully dressed in clean clothes and slipping her boots on. "Zephyr, _what_ are you _doing?"_ She snapped.

          The girl looked up, looking a little tired, but other than that, well. "Unless I've gone totally crazy ad fergotten everything, this is how one gets dressed," was her smart reply.

          "Girl, the only way yer gonna get any better is if you just let yerself be _sick!"_ She yelled.

          "Oh, combe _on," she said, standing up and waiting for the room to stop moving around. "It was just a twenty-four hour thing."_

          "Yea, which is now in day _three."_

          "I feel a lot better. Besides, you need all the hands you can get, right?"

          Yuffie didn't bother arguing there. "All right, you win." She beckoned her friend out the back door, but she smashed into Riku. "Ouch! Hey—what're you doin' here?"

          "I—hey," he saw Zephyr standing. "Yer up. I guess you feel better?" She nodded, and he continued. "I'm gonna need some help. Cloud's down."

          _"What?" Yuffie charged out the door, and Zephyr went clumsily behind her._

          "Yea. He's havin' a hard time getting up, but he's denying it. Kairi, too—I think she's just curled up somewhere in the hotel, crying. We're up two patients and out two sets of hands! Leon's got Kairi. He's gonna find somewhere to put 'er, but it's gonna take a little energy, _which we don' even have,_ to get Cloud inside."

          "So yer sayin' it's gonna take three people to carry 'im?" Zephyr asked. Then she just shrugged. "All right, I kin believe it." She took one step and collapsed.

          "Zephyr!" Riku rushed to help her. "C'mon… yer goin' back inside." It took little energy to lift her up and put her back into her cot.

          "I'm fine. You guys need all the help you can get," she was talking softly as she began visibly running out of steam. "I'm not tired. I kin get up…" she was laying flat on her side and she was trying everything to keep from falling asleep.

          "Get some sleep," Riku whispered to her, stroking her hair away from her face.

          "Hey, Riku! We need you here on _this planet—you can have yer daydreams later!" She hauled him by his arm and looked for Cloud. He wasn't hard to find—a big lump on top of a crate. A lump that wasn't moving._

          They bumped into Leon as he came back from the Item Shop. He had found a place there for her to sleep until they could clear out a place in the hotel. The hotel had recently become the infirmary, and patients were filling up rooms, _and the lobby._

          "Hey, Squall," Yuffie gave him a shaky smile, but was concerned when she saw how pale he was. His lips were try and cracked, and he looked like he hadn't slept in days—which he probably hadn't. They'd been so busy that they had no time for _anything._

          "I think—" before he finished, he fell down in a dead faint. _Now_ they were really in trouble. Only Riku and Yuffie were uninfected by the flu virus that had struck the town and hit everyone living there.

          "We're screwed," Riku buried his face in his hands.

          "We dun even have _that luxury," Yuffie told him. "We are just plain __fucked."_

Yuffie leaned on a wall, panting and gasping. She was totally exhausted. Between only Riku and herself, they had evenly had to eighteen people. Nine patients each, and they were running around like a hen and a rooster with their heads cut off, which Yuffie thought would be quite preferable to their current state.

          It had seemed like a lot longer than three days that they had been working alone. It seemed like _weeks. But seventy-two hours felt _extraordinarily_ long when neither of them had gotten much, if any, sleep. Ten minutes sleep a night was the most they could expect to get._

          Yuffie's patient roster was composed of Leon, Cloud, Aerith, the three ducklings, a Moogle, and two town residents that hadn't been awake and conscious enough to tell her their names. Riku was in charge of Kairi, Sora, Zephyr, Cid, one townsperson, and _four Moogles. They had begun to hope that the Moogles would not be susceptible to the virus and would actually be able to help them, but the only five that lived there had been struck down, and had proved to be very difficult patients._

          Cloud and Leon may have been battlefield men, but they had fallen ill, and were acting more like children than like men. When Yuffie had tried to get Cloud to eat before he got even _sicker, he had refused and she had to force-feed him, only to have him throw it back up a few short hours later. After trial-and-error, she'd finally started him on a liquid diet and threatened him with violence if he didn't down it. That seemed to work._

          Leon was just a lump. He was being completely docile, acting like a very, _very old dog that had passed his expiration date _years _ago. He had begun to remind her of an old dog she once knew named Mister William. Mister William was the most pathetic creature she had ever met. He was senile as a doorknob, and had arthritis in his hindquarters. He could neither see nor hear, and because of that, he was terrified whenever someone tried to give him a bath or a haircut, so his fur just grew and grew and grew. And he didn't have any teeth, either, so he lived on a diet of water, tunafish, and cottage cheese. But Leon wasn't that far. Yet. [A/N: Mister William is a real dog that I know. He is exactly as I just described. Old Mister William is twenty years old. In people years. That makes him about a hundred and forty in dog years.]_

          Cid was much the same as Leon, but a little less pathetic. She suspected that he was just being dramatic about his situation. From what she could tell from Riku, Sora was just as bad as Cloud, in the few short hours a day that he was awake. Kairi was better, but still in need of attention. Zephyr was mostly self-reliant, as was Aerith, both of whom seemed to be just recovering, and not in need of much attention. Everybody else, however, were as helpless as two-week-old babies. Zephyr had made a comment that she had seen orphaned calves that didn't need this much attention. But that was between her sleeping and writing, which was all she seemed to be doing lately.

          Yuffie heaved a very heavy, very _tired sigh as she enjoyed these few precious minutes in which she was not dealing with some helpless creature. She heard someone coming, but didn't bother looking. There was only one person that it could have been. _

          "How's it going?" Riku panted as he got to the wall next to her.

          "I'm still alive, aren't I?" Yuffie slid down the wall and put her head down. "You?"

          "I feel like going out and drowning myself in wet cement," was the blunt reply.

          "Really? That good, huh?" She sighed. "I've figured something out."

          "Oh yea? Is it useful? Cuz I could use all the advice I can get."

          "The bigger the man, the bigger the baby he becomes when he gets sick." She grinned despite her exhaustion. "Cloud has been the hardest person to take care of."

          "That's cuz _you dun have Sora. He's such a big baby."_

          "So's Squall."

          "And Cid."

          "If we weren't in this kind of situation, I think I'd laugh," Yuffie said with a heavy sigh. "But, as it is, I'm so busy and exhausted that I think I'm gonna lose what's left of my mind."

          "You might just as well laugh," Riku suggested. "Cuz screaming is only gonna wake 'em all back up again." He meant the patients, to whom they had given sedatives just so that they could rest themselves. All of them, that was, except for Sora, who slept most of the time, and Zephyr, who was evidently intent on writing something and was being uncharacteristically compliant. But then, maybe it was just Riku. It was one of those ornery-to-everyone-but-that-one-special-person deals.

          "I think I'm gonna just keel over and _die right here," Yuffie said._

          "And leave yer patient load with me? I dun think so," Riku snapped.

          "Too bad."

          "Hey!" He rose to his knees. "Look, babe, my brain is like _oatmeal._ I've been running around like a chicken with his head an one leg chopped off for three days! I haven't eaten in four days or slept in forty-eight hours!" Now he struggled to get himself to his feet.

          "Well, I know how you feel—I haven't either!"

          "Okay—but listen to this. Last night, I started treating them damn Dalmatians like they were the flu patients. I almost gave one of 'em a sedative 'til it barked at me an' I realized what I was doin'! I'm starting to talk to myself. I'm bitching to anything that'll listen—inanimate objects! I'm havin' arguments with _nobody—an' I'm __losing. I'm losin' it, Yuffie! Vast chunks of my brain are beginning to deteriorate! This time tomorrow, I could be brain dead or paralyzed from the waist down!" He collapsed on himself. "Oh, and you know what else—I've been working one half of my energy since yesterday cuz the rest of it is going to fight the flu. I've got a fever that could cook an ostrich egg in ten minutes. [A/N: Just so you know _how_ hot that would be—an ostrich egg takes forty minutes to soft-boil.] My head aches so much that I can hear a dead bug fall from fifty feet away, an' it _hurts!_ My throat is so sore I can't swallow, an' I feel like someone took my batteries out!"_

          Yuffie stared at him. So he was sick, too. Now it was just her, by herself. She helped him up. "Come on. Yer goin' to bed 'fore ya die." She had no idea where she would put him. Probably in the Item Synthesis Shop with Zephyr, since she wouldn't mind him being there so much. When she got there, she saw the girl standing in the doorway, arms crossed over her chest.

          "So he finally collapsed, huh?" She stood to the side to let them in. "Put him on my cot. I've been tellin' him to juss drop it since yesterday. Din' listen." She looked at him and shook her head, then helped Yuffie get him laying comfortably on her cot. He was like overcooked spaghetti. But that was a little too perky of a description for him at that moment.

          "Gotta keep going…" he murmured before he lost himself and fell asleep.

          "They're so adorable when they're sleeping," Zephyr said with a great deal of sarcasm. "All right, I'll take over his patient load. An' before you go an' say anything, lemmie just tell you how many times I've hadda go through foaling _and calving seasons. An' we had 'bout forty horses an' thirteen cows. So I think I kin handle nine flu patients."_

          "All right, all right, all right, you _win already!" Yuffie threw up her hands in defeat._

          _"Told you she's competitive," Riku said through his sick, tired daze._

          "You shut up and go to sleep before you _die,"_ the ninja snapped at him. He readily obeyed.

          "Juss one thing," Zephyr asked as they left. _"Where in hell are you KEEPIN' all 'a these people?"_

          "Jammed together like sardines," was the blunt reply. "C'mon, I'll show ya whatcha gotta do."

A week later, Riku was the only one still sick. Sora and Cloud were still a little slow, but Kairi and Aerith had soon recovered and evenly split the patients among the four of them. Then the ducklings had recovered and gone back to work, though they temporarily moved their business outdoors, because their shop was used for an infirmary still. The next to recover had been the town residents, one by one, and they slipped away from the ugly scene, probably not wanting to be put up on hospital duty.

          To Yuffie's amusement, Leon was the last to recover, but for Riku who had only recently gotten sick, and was under Zephyr's care. Only two weeks ago, he had thought that _she_ would be a victim, and that _he_ would not get sick at all. While it was true that he was one of the last to catch it, Yuffie hadn't gotten it at _all._

          "So what were you writing?" Riku asked Zephyr. He had a less-severe case and wasn't catatonic like Sora and Leon were.

          She blushed and picked her notebook up. "Nothing—really."

          "Could I read it?" He asked. "Please?"

          She couldn't say no. "All right. Yer sick—I'll humor you." She shakily handed him the book. "But please don't say anything." He had already begun reading what she had written, so she sighed and left the room. It would probably take him long enough to get through it.

          "Hey, Zephyr," Yuffie beckoned her friend over to come sit next to her. "Do me a favor?"

          "Depends on what it is."

          "Next time something like this happens around here," she began.

          "Yea?"

          "Take me out into the middle of the Third District and _shoot me."_

                                                                                                            ~*~

And so this tale ends. Not one of my better ones, but I do think it's rather comical. My Writer's Concrete Wall is slowly going away, so I do believe that I'll be having stories posted a little more often. I just really hate writer's block.

~*~ A special thanks to: ~*~

Keiko (And for those pictures of Zephyr!!)

Hell's Angel

Violet Raine

MeoMix

And anyone else whom I might have missed who gave me ideas. I love you! But… not in… that… way… *sweatdrop*

*This comes from my life too. It's a pretty funny story, as well. See, my best friend and I are exactly the same age, only he's soooooo much taller than I am. We don't look like it, but we actually are the same age. But I'm August eleventh, and he's August thirteenth. And I rub it in his face constantly. (Bei: Hey, babe. You know I love ya. ^_~)

Review, if you don't mind! Even if you _do_ mind, review anyway, because it's the _polite_ thing to do. And also because I shall sic my Closet Monsters on you if you don't. MUAHAHAHA.              


	8. A Side Effect of Boredom

I was intending on putting this up, anyway. It's basically what Zephyr wrote while she was sick. Gives you an idea about what goes on inside her head, because she lives in a shell without any cracks in it. You don't have to read this if you don't want to—it's funny, though. A _lot_ of satire in it!

_IF I HAVE TO WRITE ON MORE DISCLAIMER, I THINK I'LL COMBUST! CAN YOU NOT SEE THE FUSE ON MY HEAD THAT IS SLOWLY STARTING TO BURN CLOSER TO THE GUNPOWDER THAT IS MY BRAIN?_ Okay, I'm done.

                                                                                                             ~*~

I have been threatened with intravenous meals if I don't sit and stay sat, because I have been sick with the flu for three days. I suppose it's just as well, because 1) I don't think I've fully recovered yet, and 2) I am _extremely_ lazy. I have _always_ been lazy. Even working on a ranch, I was lazy. Not the kind of lazy as one might think, though. I just couldn't lift an entire bale of hay up onto my shoulder and carry it, part of the reason being that my shoulders are very small, and the other part of that being because those things are more than just _slightly_ misleading. One of them is about as long as I am from the waist down, but it's so much hay packed so tightly together that I had to drag it rather than carry it, sometimes resulting in the twine breaking and spilling hay all over the yard. But that's old news.

          Despite that, I could (and probably still _can)_ carry a saddle, but then again, that talent has no sufficient use. Ever watch Cloud carry around that sword? It's bigger than he is. But now that I think of it, carrying a saddle resting against each of my hips, two bridles, and a winter blanket is heavier for me to carry than it is for him to carry his sword. Proportionate to size, that is. Doubtless he could carry my load and not break a sweat. Anyone here can.

          Ah, yes… I lived on a ranch for fifteen years; fifty miles from civilization and twenty minutes from the well. We relied on that well for too damn long, though. But living on a ranch, I had no human friends. I had friends, but they were the four-legged variety. (I also had a few corn snakes that I let stay in the garden to take care of thieving mice in the summertime.) I knew the horses forever—they had been around since before I was born, and they were going _nowhere._ Dogs didn't last that long, though. I saw a great number of them born and die. But that's depressing.

          The first dog I remember well is a big brown-and-white mutt that was part Irish Setter, part retriever, part beagle, and part border collie—the wrong part in all cases. What I remember about him most is that he was both the _laziest_ dog I had ever met, and the _smartest._ That dog was a genius. And not because he acted smart. At first glance, he seemed dumb. And at second glance, he seemed _dumber._ If you were stupid enough to look _again,_ you would probably see him defending the hens against the laundry blowing on the line. And when he was sent out to herd cows, he would find a rabbit or a gopher to chase, and then he would bury it, only to dig it back up a week later and bring it into the house—nice and weathered. He never did anything right. So what made him so smart? That's just it. He was lazy, and he screwed everything up. Every time we couldn't find where he had gone, my brother would tell me, "Would you please go look for that dog, before he does something stupid?" That dog _didn't_ want to work, and he didn't _bother_ getting started, because he _knew_ someone would be coming soon to stop him from doing what he didn't want to do in the first place! It takes great genius to feign such stupidity to get what he wanted.

          The last dog I remember is a fox terrier we named Basil. A little on the hyper side, he was. While the Genius Dog chased rabbits and gophers, Basil would spend every second of his free time chasing down swans out on the millpond. I never worried—he never actually caught any. He couldn't swim. Instead of settling for a dog paddle, he had to show off and try some complicated overhand stroke—which resulted in him sinking and having to be fished out.

          There was _one_ thing we said about him though. We always said he was a good watchdog, though I can't imagine why we thought so, except that he would bark at the drop of a stiff toothbrush. In fact, when he was out in the yard, an armful of laundry in the loft in the house was enough to set him off hammer and tongs yapping and growling. I used to love envisioning some poor intruder, who would bring that fate upon himself. But the month before I left, there _was_ an intruder. He got in through the barn and slipped into the house through the hayloft (it connected to the back of the cottage because the farm was built on an incline) and stole eight silvershards and _my_ best saddle. All the while, Basil the Watchdog, was a silent as any mime. Go figure.

          The horses were better, although I can't say I didn't have bad luck with them at times. Actually, a lot of the time I had bad luck with them. Worst ride I ever went on involved one low branch, one tall horse, and some really, _really_ bad timing. See, I didn't think the branch was _that low_ until I was… oh, we'll say twenty feet away. So I ducked. But not low enough. I hit the branch and I snapped it completely _off._ With my head, which explains a lot. And it was a _big branch._ Roughly as big around as Riku's arm. I came to a few seconds later on the ground and tangled up in half of a tree, and my dear horse was standing there, enjoying the salad bar that was now in reach. Needless to say, I never rode near trees again.

But what I would truly like to know is why these city-born, city-bred writers keep writing novels glorifying (and _glamorizing)_ rural life. They can do all the research they like, but research and experience are two different things all together. For one thing, my workday lasted fourteen hours. I'm not kidding. Writers write like there's time for all kinds of romance when one lives in The Middle Of Nowhere. Nope. And you usually don't end up looking like any spring chicken at the end of a day, either. You end up looking more like the chicken that will be on the table for dinner.

          Some have solved that problem, though. They leave their cities and go into Cow Country with livestock and horses not knowing heads from tails, and polls from docks. But I _can_ compliment them like this—they're stubborn. My _God_ are they stubborn. And no matter how much they suffer, they call it "contentment." Even after a situation like this:

          Our Writer returns from the well, which is two miles from the house, carrying three buckets—one in each hand and one in his teeth. It's a lovely spring day, like any other—quiet, peaceful, serene. The only sounds were the sounds of the songbirds—until the chimney broke off and fell through the roof, demolishing the table, and blocking the living quarters proper and two bedrooms with bricks, leaves, roofing tiles and bird's nests, and dumping an entire family of squirrels into the fireplace. Luckily, there was no fire at that time.

          Our Writer scrutinized the wreckage, and then did what anyone would have done in that situation: he went and sat out on the back porch. Then one of the chickens came pecking by near his feet. He picked it up, and suddenly became aware that it was warm… and it was making little chirpy sounds. But chirping isn't at all unusual in chickens. He realized that nothing else _really_ mattered. He was content.

          …There. You see how _different_ everyone is? And how _stubborn_ and _stupid_ those writers can be? I myself cannot fathom any kind of domestic disaster such as that which would be, in any way, softened by the mere _presence of a chicken in my path._ Trust me, I know—I _had_ chickens, and that day when half of the barn roof caved in, a smart one would have kept the hell outta my way. At a time like that, I would think nothing of going out to _kick one_ in the tailfeathers. But then again, I always hated those birds with their blank, beady little eyes, and that stupid way the kept shaking their scrawny heads.

          Once upon a time, Our Writer was drowning in cocktail parties and never finding a dry enough martini. But now he's up to his elbows in… cows. And goats, both of which give milk, but he doesn't seem to realize that it's a good idea to heat it up before you drink it, just to make sure that there's nothing bacterial still swimming around in there that can give you a very _bad_ case of nausea. And goats wait until you have turned around and head-butt you from behind. So walk _backwards_ out of the pen. But remember where the gate is so you don't go back-flipping over the fence and spilling the pails of milk over onto the ground and soaking the dogs _and_ the chickens _and_ yourself in it, because, while _you_ may be willing to bathe, dogs and cats are not, and they do not care that milk is fermenting and turning into cottage cheese in their fur as summer progresses. On the other hand, it could end up being a new variety of cheese. Fur Cheese.

          Eew.

Would someone please tell me what the hell it is with teenage girls that they are so willing to expose as much skin as humanly possible? I've seen girls walking around in what could be considered denim underwear and they act like it's nothing. How can they do that? I don't understand it—I _never_ understood it. It may just be that growing up, wearing shorts out to work meant saddle sores, bug bites, ticks, fleas, and, of course, sunburn. Long pants just worked better, and the only reason I ever shaved my legs was to make it harder for ticks and fleas to grab on.

          But then… the only girls I actually really know are Aerith, Kairi, and Yuffie, all of whom dress according to their gender. But Aerith doesn't wear shorts and constricting t-shirts. The only thing I've ever seen her wear has been a pink dress, or one of the heavier blue ones for when the weather gets colder. Bur Kairi wears shorts. And skirts of roughly the same length. How can she sit down? And what's more—_isn't she worried that someone's going to look? To a male mind, it's a window of opportunity!_ But hey… to each her own. I guess Yuffie doesn't dress like that. Her shorts are too short, but her socks come halfway up her thighs. On her it works—on me, it would not. Envisioning that image is testing my gag reflex. Either that, or it's this flu—I never can decide.

-Zephyr-

                                                                                                             ~*~

Very short for this story, but it was satire. Kind of like a Dave Barry column in the newspaper or something like that. _God_ I love satire.

Please review! If you do, it'll encourage me to write more of something that hasn't been written yet… because it just now popped into my mind. But lets see if you would even like it:

_"A Midsummer Night's Dream"_ is a play involving the mixing and shaking up of two couples. But there are _four_ couples in Traverse. What happens then? *evil look* Looks like yer gonna hafta find out. But lemmie know if ya wanna read that, cuz if it sounds dumb, I just won't bother. It popped into my head. POOF. Just like that. I also have another part of this story in the making. So bye, people! See you… um… well, I'll just see you!

"Has anyone ever told you that you have the voice of a songbird slowly drowning in tar?"   —M*A*S*H       


	9. Let Be What Is Balanced

Woohoo! I have a Magical Pen! It's pink (even though I_ hate pink), an' sparkly, an' has a crystal ball on it, an' it's __square—my friend in England gave it to me for Christmas, so that makes it even _more_ special, and _it has no cap but it will NEVER dry out! _I find that totally _awesome._ [Hi, Ruth, if you happen to be reading this!]_

Okay, I think I'm done yammering for now.

Summary: William Shakespeare's _A Midsummer Night's Dream,_ minus the men in the woods and all the faeries. Merlin and the Faerie Godmother should know better than to fool with the emotions of humans. But they made a love potion that went wrong, and now they have one day to set the town to rights again—before it's too late. But there are twice as many couples here, and that means twice as much chaos, twice as much confusion—and twice as many things can go wrong.

[Here's the blueprint so you don't worry too badly, ms. halley bom-bally: everyone starts with the person they should, and everyone ends _up with the person they should—the couples I made up to go in-between the beginning and the end, however, are just plain _weird_ ones!]_

Anyone who still needs a disclaimer is a loser. And if you sincerely _want to see one, you _will be_ a loser—yer gonna lose a limb. *gets a bigass knife*_

                                                                                                             ~*~

A wizard loomed over a cauldron containing a slightly bubbling mixture about the thickness of corn syrup and the color of a pink carnation. He was staring into it, intent, murmuring some nonsense-sounding words. Behind him, his companion, a grandmotherly-looking woman, watched him. On a perch on the table in the middle of the room, an owl danced from one foot to the other, extremely nervous.

          "Merlin!" The owl called. Archimedes the Highly Educated Owl [A/N: from The Sword in the Stone] could talk. "You don't know what you're risking! Brewing a love potion is pointless _anyway, and you forget that the people here already __have mates—even the younger ones! You could—"_

          The Faerie Godmother tapped him with her wand. "Hush," she told him. "He knows what he's doing." The owl was not convinced, but contented himself with dancing nervously again as he watched.

          Deep inside the town, a pair of teenaged boys were having an argument on a subject that they had never agreed on—Riku's hot-tempered girlfriend, Zephyr.

          "I _still dun get it," the younger of the two, a spiky-haired brunette, hold his companion._

          "What's not to get?" Riku asked.

          "How in hell do you put _up with her?" Sora exploded, then he recoiled as his friend bristled angrily. He __hated it when people spoke of Zephyr like that, even though she had told him time an again that she didn't care what people said about her._

          "I _told you already!" The silver-haired youth snapped, annoyed. "She __likes me."_

          "Yea, but she _hates me. If she likes someone, she's mildly human, but if not, she's a pure helldemon." He sighed. "She 'likes' you? She's head-over-heels in love with you!"_

          "You say that like it's bad."

          Sora groaned and covered his face with his hands. It was pointless to argue with him—Riku was his childhood best friend, and he knew how stubborn he could be. But Zephyr was one of the very _few things that ever disagreed on, along with silly things like what to name the next raft or boat, and whose boxers were whose when laundry was separated._

          "I dunno _why she doesn't like you," Riku was saying. "She just doesn't. Maybe if you guys __did get along, you'd think differently."_

          Fed up, Sora got to his feet. "Lemmie know when yer makin' sense again, kay?" He said without looking back. "I'm gonna go find Kairi."

          Riku watched his friend leave, and slumped back onto the bench he sat on. He leaned his head back to stare up at the sky. The clouds had covered the stars and moon, though every so often a small break would expose bright silver stars, or a glowing full moon.

          "Yer attempted convincing din' go very well, did it?" A young female voice asked. Riku didn't bother looking up to see who it was. He already knew: Zephyr. She was sitting on the ledge above him, swinging her feet and looking down at him.

          "Nope," was the answer he gave. "Why don't you ever get along with him?"

          Zephyr stopped swinging her feet and blinked. "We clash," she said finally. "Our personalities are so different and… well…" she sighed. "Just one 'a those things." She knew her reasoning was inadequate, but it was the best she could come up with. Sometimes she wished that she _could_ get along with Sora, for Riku's sake. It was with thoughts like that when she realized exactly _how much she liked him—enough to lay aside her differences with someone. The sound of him speaking brought her back to the real world._

          "C'mon down from there." He had one arm extended to her, beckoning her to come sit down next to him. She gladly obliged, sitting close, tucked into the curve of his arm. While she was nothing short of an animal with almost everyone else, to him she was perfectly docile. He'd become the only person that could control her.

          On the other side of the Second District, the ninja Yuffie and _her_ love, Leon, were inside the damp, moss-grown Waterway. Leon had gotten her to throw her shurikens at him to see how many he could block with his Gunblade, but she was missing him on purpose, because she didn't want him to get hurt.

          "Yer screwing up on purpose!" He accused as he blocked one of the correctly-thrown stars. Then he put his weapon down, point-first into the ground as a signal to stop.

          "What's'a matter?" Yuffie teased. "Tired already?" She put on the sweetest, most innocent face she had. She knew he wasn't tired, but she _liked_ teasing him. He was easily annoyed.

          He gave her the, "Ha-ha, very funny—_I am NOT amused!" look._

          "Stop that," she told him, fists on her hips. "You know I was only teasing ya." She winked.

          Leon sighed—he couldn't stay mad at this little kitten for very long, annoying though she was. He closed the distance between them and lifted her into a kiss. Because of their difference in height, she had to stand on her toes and lean on him to keep her balance. Her arms were looped around his neck; his around her waist, and she was doing everything but purr.

          "Merlin!" Archimedes was now so nervous that he was fluffed out to the size of a basketball. The cauldron was boiling over, spattering the floor with the pink substance. It was quaking, and causing the whole cauldron _and_ the small cottage to shake.

          "Well, that's not supposed to be happening…" Merlin mused out loud. He spoke _very calmly. He took a step forward to inspect his out-of-control creation, but soon it began shaking the entire cavern in which the cottage sat._

          "Get down!" Archimedes yelled as he sought refuge underneath a pillow as the cauldron exploded, blowing debris and thick pink smoke everywhere.

          In every District, the explosion had taken its' toll on everyone. Most people had been knocked unconscious; Cloud had covered and protected Aerith from falling debris, and he, too, had been all right, but the smell of the smoke had proven to be too much for him, and he collapsed.

          Because they were in the waterway, Yuffie and Leon had caught full brunt of the explosion and were blown yards away from where they had started and away from on another. Both were knocked out. Kairi, too, had fallen with the explosion. Riku had been knocked into a wall; Zephyr hid beneath the bench, saving her from being knocked out, but, like Cloud, the smell of the smoke caused her to faint. Only Sora and Aerith had stayed awake through it.

          "Cloud," Aerith whispered as she shook the blonde to wake him up. "Oh, Cloud, please be all right. Please wake up."

          Cloud twitched and groaned, coming back into reality. He opened his eyes and saw Aerith looming over him. He smiled slightly, but then a headache caught up with him and he clenched his eyes shut. "What in hell happened?"

          "I don't know," Aerith said softly. "I feel kinda dizzy. What about you? Do you feel okay?" She was worried for him.

          He shrugged. "Dizzy," he said, though he left out "very lusty," not knowing that Aerith was feeling the same.

          Sora charged back into the Second District. He was paranoid, now—he had run in a complete circle and not found Kairi. In a blind panic, he fell over someone.

          "What th—" he stopped to look at what he had fallen over. It was Zephyr, who lay on her side on the ground, completely out cold. She looked peaceful in sleep—so harmless. Why was he thinking like this? He forgot that he despised the girl and just stared at her, not blinking. He didn't see someone he hated anymore, but rather some kind of fallen angel. He knelt quietly next to her, studying her small form—true shape hidden inside too-large clothes; leather boots; pale skin, bruised in a few places; glossy black hair. Heavy lids slid open and gray eyes focused.

          "S-sora?" She groaned as she sat up, looking into deep blue eyes. His eyes were a deep color—Riku's were very light. Why was she comparing them? With a very awkward smile, she asked, "Kin ya help me up?" She felt butterflies in her stomach as their hands touched. Head tilted, she looked at him carefully through partly-lidded eyes. "You have gorgeous eyes."

          Their faces were very close. Close enough to kiss. Uncharacteristically, Zephyr made the first move and kissed the tip of his nose. When Riku came to only seconds later, he found his best friend and his girlfriend lip-locked. He rubbed his eyes—was he seeing things? Sora and Zephyr _hated_ each other!

          "Zephyr!" He yelled. The girl turned to him, not showing any sign of guilt or remorse at her actions. Hey eyes were perfectly calm. She said nothing—only scaled the wall behind her and left his field of vision. Sora followed her.

          Riku was purely stunned. He felt like _crying. That made _two_ girls he had lost to his best friend! And whatever happened to Kairi? Sora loved _her…_ didn't he? His head was starting to hurt; he got up and rubbed his temples. He had to track them both down and see what was going on, or if he needed to see a doctor because he was seeing things. He set of at a dead run for the Third District. It was empty but for a lump on the center of the flagstones. Upon further inspection, it proved to be Kairi—out cold. This worried him some, and he knelt next to her._

          "Hey, Kairi… Kairi, are you okay?" She didn't _look_ injured as he rolled her onto her back and shook her gently by the shoulder. "Kairi…"

          Indigo eyes fluttered open. When she got the blurred, silvery shape over her head into focus, she smiled, the effect of the love potion taking over. In love with the first male she saw when she awoke. Madly in love.

          Riku noticed the spark in her eyes and felt uneasy. He felt even _more_ uneasy when she launched herself at him, locking her arms around his neck, mumbling into his chest. He struggled to his feet, awkward with Kairi still hanging about his neck. He'd gotten very used to carrying Zephyr—she was a far cry lighter than Kairi.

          With some difficulty, he managed to both stand, and to pry her hands off of his neck. "What's gotten _into you?" He asked her, utterly confused by now. He looked down into misty eyes._

          "Riku…" she breathed, barely in a whisper. She stood tall and kissed him, clamping her arms around his neck again, and this time _not_ letting go for _anything._

          "Kairi… I can't breathe…" Riku slid his hands underneath her vice-like grip on his neck and lifted her off. There was an irony to this whole situation; a year ago, he'd have given _anything to have Kairi all over him as she was now. But he had found a match in Zephyr, and it was _she_ that he was intent on finding. So, having no choice but to let Kairi follow him, clinging to his arm, making him feel like he was hosting a leech._

          Leon was the next to regain consciousness. He had been blown clear out of the Waterway and into the back alley outside of the hotel from the explosion. His head _ached and he felt not unlike being drunk. Yuffie was nowhere to be found, but he heard two people coming close. One was heavy, the other quite light. He climbed some crates to get a better look: Cloud and Aerith walked about fifty yards from his perch. Hand-in-hand and oblivious, they noticed nothing but one another._

          But Leon noticed _them. Or, rather, he noticed _Aerith,_ seeing her in a way that he hadn't in __ages. He'd liked her at one point, but had eventually gone off of her when Cloud came back._

          But now he was beginning to see her like that again, and was now intent on getting her—_alone. He didn't stop to remember that Cloud would _kill_ anyone that so much as __touched his Flower Girl—he'd taken a big hit from the explosion, and the love potion had given a huge effect on him. Quietly, he stalked behind them._

          "The lanky one didn't wake up," Merlin said, gazing into a crystal ball as he magically watched over the town. Now he was paused on the tall and thin ninja who still lay unconscious in the back of the Waterway. "The rest of them appear to be all right." He turned to his owl. "There, you see, Archimedes? Everything's turned out well."

          The owl was puffed out still, though not as big as before. "No! Everything is _not 'all right'!" He spat. "They've been mixed up! Their affections are with others! They've gone __all wrong!"_

          "Archimedes is right, Merlin," Faerie Godmother said plainly, watching in the crystal ball as Leon tried to get Aerith to stay with him, and Cloud was acting like a territorial wolf, fighting for his mate. If something didn't happen soon, someone would get hurt. Physically _and_ emotionally. "We have to get them back with whom they belong with."

          "But how are we going to know _that?" Merlin asked irritably. The Faerie Godmother smiled to herself and waved her wand, allowing silvery stars to float to the ground._

          "Just match them up with the love potion and a sleep potion. That way they'll wake up to the person they _should."_

          "To who's with who?" Archimedes asked, now resuming the size and shape of an owl.

          "Just match them with whomever they're most alike!" Merlin snapped as though it was the most obvious thing.

          "No, I'm afraid it's not that easy," Faerie Godmother said softly.

          "So then _who's with who?" The wizard exploded. In his anger, he was setting red and orange sparks off of his body. "You make no sense."_

          "I know," she said with a sigh. "It makes little sense to me, too, but it's the best I can do. Archimedes, take up some sleep, and some of the love potion."

          The owl squawked loudly. "Me? Why me?"

          "Because you can get from here to them fastest."

          "Why not make _Merlin do it? It's his fault!"_

          "Because I'm going to be making him help me figure out who goes with who."

          "So then what am _I doing?"_

          "Trial-and-error," was the old woman's simple reply. No longer protesting, the owl scooped up one vial in each talon and set off to put couples to rights again before someone got injured.

          The first thing he did was spread the sleep, making the activity stop. A little of the love potion would produce the same effect. The couples would wake at different times, hopefully making them fall in love with each other again. But the plan had its' faults—some were more resistant to the magic than others, and awoke at different times.

          Kairi had succumbed to the sleep before Riku, and he took the opportunity to _run and find Zephyr, only to collapse two yards from where his girlfriend had fallen due to the sleep. Since she was fast, she had run further than Sora had, before they both fell. But Sora was far enough away so that when he woke, he would not see Zephyr first when he awoke._

          Yuffie was already asleep; Archimedes didn't bother there. He put Aerith, Cloud, and Leon out all at the same time, and dragged away the easiest: Leon. He didn't want to take chances and leave two men together. He didn't want to think of what might happen there.

          A matter of _minutes later, Yuffie woke up. She, too, felt groggy, and stumble out of the Waterway She saw a pair of flesh-colored lumps on the ground, and another lay near them. The one that lay alone was Leon—she could tell. She darted over to him and slid to her knees, shaking him to wake him up._

          "Squall, come on, get up! What happened? Do you remember anything? Come on, get up…" Yuffie whispered as she shook him. She felt his hand on her arm and smiled, relieved, as his eyes opened.

          "Hey," he said quietly as he sat up underneath the young ninja's weight. "You feel okay?"

          "Yes, I feel _fine! What about you? You look like you've been through a lot…" she brushed a lock of his hair out of his eyes and leaned down to kiss him._

          Archimedes had intended on Cloud seeing Aerith first when he awoke—but he looked in the other direction, and the first female he caught sight of was Yuffie, and the potion's effect took over, even though she was kissing Leon.

          "Yuffie?" He asked, trying to get her attention. It worked, and she looked up, barely taking her lips away from Leon's. Cloud's glare turned to him and went ice cold.

          "Cloud, what're you doing?" The girl asked, growing protective of her love—she knew that glare! Both she and Leon scrambled to their feet, and Leon took a step forward, standing in front of her. Yuffie took hold of his jacket and whispered, "Don't."

          "Move, Leonheart."

          "Cloud! What's _with you?" She hissed. Despite her firm voice, she was starting to step backward, and pulling Leon along with her, silently begging him to run with her. Time stood still, and when Cloud reached for his sword, she yanked on his jacket and ran. Leon didn't need encouragement—he went right along after her._

          Without regard to Aerith, who was still asleep, Cloud charged after them, intent on barging through Leon to get to Yuffie, with whom he had fallen madly in love because of the potion.

          Fortunately, he didn't think to look in the ceiling rafters of the Item Shop, where they had managed to climb and brace themselves until he gave up his search there, and went to find them somewhere else. Once she was sure that they were safe, Yuffie let out a huge, shaky breath, which she had been holding since Cloud had walked in. She dropped silently to the floor and waited for Leon to jump down after her.

          "Something's up," she said, glancing cautiously out the window as he pulled her into an embrace. "An' it can't be good. It's scarin' me." She shivered, as if to prove a point.

          Leon sighed over her head, and a smile came over his lips. "We're alone now," he whispered. "An' there's no light on." He trapped her against a wall, and received no protest, only the words, "Keep going."

          Riku and Zephyr awoke at roughly the same time, although they were in different places at the time. Riku managed to get to his feet and went to investigate the groaning lump nearby. Kairi was some distance behind him—he knew that much. He only hoped that it was Zephyr he was running towards. It was.

          "Ugh… my _head…" she whimpered softly. The impact of the sleep potion had caused her senses to go off for a while. The shape that advanced on her was no more than a blur of colors until it was __very close, and she could tell it was Riku, though mostly she had figured it out by scent._

          "Care to tell me why you were kissin' Sora?" He asked, trying to seem angered. The look she gave him was very pathetic. She stretched her hand up to him.

          "I'll plead insanity," she said as he helped her to unsteady feet. "I feel so dizzy that I can't be held accountably for _anything_ I do." She paused. "'Cept this," with that, she pulled him down into a rough kiss, holding a fistful of his hair in one hand and a fistful of his shirt in the other. Satisfied that he had his girlfriend back, Riku held her close.

          Kairi got to her knees, and then to her feet, with the aid of a crate, looking for her previous target, Riku, although now she was also concerned about where Sora was. That wore off quickly, however, as she caught sight of Riku nearby, caught up in an embrace with Zephyr. She felt herself boiling over and tried to steady herself enough so that she could confront them.

          "Uh-oh…" Zephyr whispered, looking at the enraged girl over Riku's shoulder.

          "Hmm?" Since having been moved from her lips, Riku contented himself with kissing her neck, shoulders, and any other exposed skin he could find on her—which wasn't much. It took a lot of willpower to swat him away.

          "Later," she whispered. "As much as I'm likin' this, but…" she stopped talking, jerking her head towards Kairi. He looked.

          "Crud."

          "Yea." She narrowed her eyes as the other girl got closer and closer; a low growl rose in her throat.

          Kairi was looking at Riku as though he had broken some kind of long-ago-made promise, or committed adultery. This look made him nervous as she advanced, glaring daggers at Zephyr. Something in the pit of his stomach dropped and he figured that the two girls would fight over him, which, normally, most teenaged boys would not mind. But one of these was his friend, the other his girlfriend; he loved them both and didn't want either hurt.

          Zephyr stepped away from him and moved closer to Kairi, eyes narrowed, arms out slightly, a primitive instinct to appear bigger, and head down a little like a stalking wolf. She was no physical fighter, but she was small, quick, and armed with knives. "Back off," she hissed venomously. The girls had started to circle one another, now, and Riku was too scared to do anything but watch.

          "No," Kairi said defiantly. Neither was ready to make the first move; they were only trying to scare the other into running away from the fight. Kairi was the bigger of the two, but didn't know to stand her ground. Zephyr had stopped moving and stood, rooted to one spot. In one swift movement, she whipped out a knife and growled loud enough to rouse echoes. She wouldn't hurt anyone—it was just for scare. But Riku didn't know this. He grabbed her around her waist and flung the weapon from her grip, letting it clatter to the ground behind them.

          "Stop it!" He hissed in her ear. She was fighting his hold, but didn't stand a chance. Still, he tightened his grip as a precaution. "Yer gonna _kill_ someone! Or get _yerself killed!" She'd stopped struggling now, and he loosened his grip. Kairi had disappeared in their struggle. "Hey, where'd she go?"_

          Zephyr looked off to the left. "Thataway."

          "How kin ya tell?"

          She shrugged. "Instinct. 'Case I wanna track down my prey."

          Riku turned her around and shook her. "Zephyr, are you _crazy?"_ He demanded. Anger was replaced with surprise when she stood tall and kissed his nose.

          "Crazy for you," she answered. "Crazy enough to fight to the death."

          "You wouldn't," he accused.

          "You dun wanna put money on that," she told him. Looking around cautiously, she saw no one near them. "Come on. 'Fore someone else sees us and decides to try an' drag one of us away."

          He kissed her cheek. "Lead away."

          Sora hadn't been given any kind of a nasty blow, but he was still out from the sleep. When he finally _did wake up, he felt confused. He managed to get himself upright before he remembered who he was after before—Zephyr. Should he go after her again? He heard someone off in the distance and squinted to see. He managed to register that it was Kairi, and immediately forgot about Zephyr. The girl on his mind now was Kairi._

          "Think it's safe?" Leon asked Yuffie, barely making any sound.

          "I dunno," was her reply. "And I'm too scared to go look up and see." She paused. "I wonder what's happened to everyone else by now…"

          "I dunno if I even wanna _know," Leon said, thinking of what might happen, should other couples be shaken up. And what happened with Aerith? Had she woken up yet? Maybe Cloud had gone back to her, and would leave Yuffie alone before she had a heart attack._

          There was some noise outside, causing the pair to jump, and nearly scream and give away their hiding place.  Leon clamped his hands around Yuffie's mouth and held as still as possible. It sounded as if several people were darting back and forth outside, but none of them were heavy enough to be Cloud. Eventually, they faded away and were no longer heard.

          Yuffie was scratching at the back of Leon's hands, and managed to pry them off of her mouth as she took gulps of air. "If yer gonna cover my mouth like that at least make sure I can breathe through my _nose_ or something!" She hissed, perhaps too loudly, because the door to the Item Shop burst open, and the heavy footsteps of Cloud loomed over them. [A/N: Imagine them underneath that wooden platform thing directly in front of the counter.]

          "You've gotta be in here, Leonheart," he said in a malicious voice. Yuffie swallowed hard and clung to Leon, shivering. Even _he_ was starting to get worried: Cloud never called anyone by their last name. Until now.

          Lightning quick, a hand reached and pulled Leon out from beneath the platform by the back of his jacket; Yuffie fell out after him.

          "No, Cloud, drop him!" She tugged at his cape. "Please just let him alone!" She scratched at his arm in a vain attempt to get him to let her love drop. The soldier looked down at her and his eyes softened and he looked at her the same way he would normally look at Aerith. Opening his fist, he let Leon drop two feet to the ground. When he reached to take hold of _her,_ she slapped him as hard as she could, and used his temporary shock to shove him over the counter and into the wall behind him.

          "Way to go, Yuffie," Leon stared at Cloud, who was starting to struggle with regaining his feet.

          "Gawk later!" She said, grabbing his hand and darting out the door like a frightened rabbit. They made a dash for the Second District, where they could hide in the Bell Tower. It was the safest place that either of them could think of, as Cloud could not climb very well, and the Bell Tower was the last place anyone sane would hide.

          The ascent was a dangerous one, as they could not use the rope to climb up. Pulling on it would cause the bell to chime. Balancing on the ledges inside was a dangerous act; Yuffie braced herself with both hands in a corner as Leon found the widest ledge, which was only three feet wide, and balanced there as best as he could.

          "What could _possibly be going on?" Yuffie's bottom lip quivered. Cloud was her friend, but the way he was acting was frightening her. She couldn't help but let her tears fall. Leon noticed this and risked a whisper._

          "Everything'll be all right, Yuffie," he told her, sounding a little like he was trying to convince _himself as well as her._

          She looked across the Bell Tower at him—a dark figure in a dark corner.  "Are you convincing me or you?"

          "Both."

          She cracked a smile. The coast was clear, and they slid to the ground but did not leave the safety of the Bell Tower. There was an old staircase leading down to a small room—the bellman's room, from when the Town was new, and the time was given every hour with a pull of the bellrope. The room had not been used in some time—cobwebs covered the corners, dust covered the floor, and a family of raccoons had moved into an old fireplace. But it was a haven for now.

          Leon held her until she stopped shivering, although she was shaking mostly from the cold, now. He draped his jacket over her shoulders and she smiled, curling up into a tiny ball and resting against him.

          Someone was running into the Bell Tower—the footsteps pounded over their heads. At least it wasn't Cloud. IT was somebody small; they could tell that much. The old wooden trapdoor that led to the bellman's room was hidden well amongst the crates, so the pair crept over to it and listened closely. Someone was panting, as if they had run long, hard, and fast. But they still didn't know who it was.

          "Why won't—she leave me—_alone?" Someone whispered between breaths. The voice was instantly recognizable as Sora's. Yuffie put a hand over her mouth and kept listening. He was talking again. "I thought—she was with Cloud. Wonder where __he is…"_

          _"Cloud?" Yuffie mouthed to Leon. He seemed just as shocked as she. Was Aerith chasing after __Sora? And if so, and he wasn't responding to her advances, then… who was __he after? Or had he managed to stay screwed up the way he was supposed to be and was with Kairi? And even _so…_ where was _she?_ Yuffie rubbed throbbing temples. All of this thinking made her brain hurt._

          Kairi noticed that she had dropped Sora, but also had lost track of Riku—the one she wanted to get her teeth into right now. She slowed Her pace to a walk and stopped to catch her breath. Both Riku and Zephyr were relatively quick on their feet, and had probably made it a safe distance away from her by now. This was unnerving and frustrating to Kairi and she kicked a wall.

          She was right about one thing—the pair had managed to escape her by running in a zigzag pattern, leaving her line of sight, and turning around so that she was chasing nothing. Now Zephyr fumbled with the lock on a window, using a metal wire that she had swiped out of Cid's shop and shaped into a lock pick. The lock clicked, and she opened the window. It was small—only twenty inches across, but she squeezed through and landed with an uncomfortable-sounding "thud" on the hardwood floor of the vacant house. Seconds later, the door opened a crack, and she beckoned Riku to get inside.

          Once he was in, she locked the door and window back up again and sank against the wall, releasing a sigh. "We finally lost 'er."

          Riku only nodded and looked around the dim room. He didn't bother with a light, knowing that it would only risk giving away their hiding place. The only furniture in the room was three wooden chairs, a small table, and a very simple-looking old dresser. He tripped over Zephyr and hit both of his knees on the floor when he landed.

          "You okay?" She whispered.

          "Yea," he said, nodding.

          "Good."

          He sat next to her as they intended on waiting in that very place until the cows came home—or when everything went back to normal. Whichever one came first.

          "Did you hear that?" Zephyr suddenly looked like a deer in the headlights, alerted to a sound that Riku hadn't heard.

          "No… what did it sound like?"

          "Like a very drunk somebody," she said, eyes narrowed suspiciously. Rising to her knees to look out of the window over her head.

          THUD. THUMP. _WHAM!_

          Immediately, she ducked again. "Someone's having a hard time keeping their coordination," she said flatly.

          There was a very loud CRASH as Riku opened his mouth to reply. It sounded very much like someone breaking a crate. Zephyr put both of her hands over his mouth and crushed his head back against her chest as every muscle in her body tensed. This felt not unlike when the town had been invaded by snipers.

          They both waited in dead silence, but Zephyr kept twitching—something was tickling her palm. She looked down at Riku, whose eyes were closed. "Are you _licking_ my _hand?"_ She was caught somewhere between wanting to yell and wanting to burst into a fit of giggles, but kept her voice to a whisper.

          "Mm-hmm." Her hands muffled his reply.

          "Well stop," she told him. He sighed and reluctantly did as he was told. "I'm gonna be edgy 'til this whole thing is over and everything is back to being screwed up the way it should be," she whispered as an explanation.

          Unable to give a verbal reply, he nodded. Zephyr went on.

          "But if you can _promise_ to behave until then…" she paused. "I'll sleep with you."

          He reacted as though someone had hit him with a cattle prod. He flipped over so that he was facing her and slipped her hands away from his mouth. "You mean that?" He panted.

          "Yep." [A/N: Not what you (and Riku!) think. Zephyr is not a slut. Keep reading. You'll see what I mean later.]

          Aerith had not yet given up her search for Sora. She'd combed the First District like a nit comb, and was starting on the Second. Cloud had not registered in her mind when she set eyes on Sora when she came to after the sleep wore off. All that had registered in her mind was to get her hands on him. Silently, she padded across the stone ground. She moved like a giant cat—gracefully, soundlessly. A shadow cast across the ground nearby—a short shadow with spiky hair. She grinned; she knew that shape!

          As soon as Sora stepped cautiously out of his hiding place, he showed obvious relief. Aerith was hiding well, and he began to walk her way without knowing it. When he passed her, he didn't notice, either. Until he heard a voice behind him.

          "Hello, Sora," she said softly. When he turned to look at her, the look on his face was one of shock—like he had come face-to-face with a lioness that hadn't eaten in weeks. "Please don't run," she begged. Something about the way she spoke made him stop and stay standing in his place.

          "What is it?" He asked, restraining the urge to snap at her, although he was acting on the theory that if he was cold enough to her, she would lose interest and go for someone else. But then again… she was used to Cloud. No one could surpass him or Leon on the Coldness Scale.

          She looked at him like a hurt lamb, but he seemed unmoved by it. She reacted as though she had received this sort of rejection from Cloud, and her bottom lip quivered.

          "That won't work," he said.

          "So why aren't you just up and leaving?" She asked as pathetically as she knew how. She was getting to him—she could sense it.

          "Why aren't I?" He asked. Then he shrugged. "I am now." He turned around, and as soon as he heard Aerith behind him, he set off at a dead run, the Flower Girl sprinting after him. "Fast little bunny rabbit," he murmured as he chanced one look back over his shoulder at her. But he was soon aware of _another_ set of feet running ahead of him, and Kairi came into view. Now he was determined to both lose Aerith and catch Kairi.

          _"I told you, Merlin!"_ Archimedes screamed. "I _told_ you not to do this. It would cause catastrophe! But did you listen? No! Because _nobody_ ever listens to Archimedes the Highly Educated Owl!" He, too, was watching the crystal ball that Merlin was using to monitor the results of his screw-up. Cloud had worn himself out running after Yuffie—even though he could see where she had gone. He was not built for running at high speeds for lengthy amounts of time. His state of exhaustion caused him to fall over in a faint. Yuffie and Leon had supposed that it was now safe to leave their haven, as did Zephyr and Riku.

          "Spread the sleep," Merlin said absently. Faerie Godmother waved her wand, and the spell fell over the group, knocking down all who had not already fallen. "Divide and conquer."

          "I _beg_ your pardon?" Faerie Godmother asked, frowning.

          "Divide them up, and see who ends up where first. You yourself said that you would be able to tell if the couples were in the right order or not," the wizard told her.

          "Yes, that I did." She sighed. "Very well. Trial-and-error will just have to do. Shuffle them and wake them up."

          "You can't shuffle people!" Archimedes was hopping from foot to foot and had once again fluffed himself out.

          Merlin paid no attention to his owl as he used a spell to move the confused lovers around. He did what he _thought_ would work: Cloud and Aerith were next to one another now; Sora and Kairi were also near one another, but very close to where Cloud and Aerith were. Riku and Yuffie were in the same place, and Leon and Zephyr had been put together. Covering his eyes with one hand, Merlin lifted the sleep and watched the scenes in front of him.

          Sora woke up to Kairi and fell back in love with her—the way it was supposed to be to begin with. They were both confused as to what had happened, where they had been, and how they ended up behind the café. Those thoughts, however, were shoved aside when the effect of the potion began again and they ended up sliding to the ground and fumbling with zippers, buttons, and laces. 

          "Well, _that_ one turned out," Faerie Godmother murmured. "Don't do anything with _them,_ Merlin. They're supposed to be like that." She chanced a look back into the crystal ball and covered her eyes. "Change it!"

          The next couple was Riku and Yuffie. They looked ridiculous together—Yuffie was taller than he was! It didn't seem to matter, though, as they were standing on an incline, and Riku was roughly face-to-face with the young ninja. The sight of _them,_ however, was _nothing_ compared with Zephyr and Leon. Zephyr was awake before he was, and sat on one hip with her legs out to the side, head cocked to the side like a dog. Once she'd hooked Leon, he could carry her around on his back like a backpack with little effort.

          "Half-and-half," the Faerie Godmother said as she watched back and forth between the couples.

          "You mean only two are with who they _should?"_ Merlin snapped.

          "'Fraid so."

          "So which ones?"

          Faerie Godmother pondered this for some time. "The two young ones are where they ought to be—"

          "What do you mean by that?" Archimedes perched on her shoulder to get a better view into the crystal ball. "They're _all_ young!"

          "I mean the youngest of all of them." She indicated a very passionate Sora and Kairi, who didn't appear to have come up for air since they woke up.

          "I thought the little one was the youngest," Merlin remarked with a frown. He meant Zephyr. "All right, who else? The little one and the dark one? Or two dark ones, as the case is…" He changed the view in the crystal ball to the one of Leon and Zephyr.

          "No, they shouldn't be together," she said. "The pink and the soldier." This was relatively easy to solve: Aerith was both the only one wearing pink, and she was with Cloud already.

          "Will they remember any of this?" Archimedes asked.

          "Uh-oh," Merlin whispered. "They _will."_

          "…Unless we make them believe otherwise," Faerie Godmother put in.

          _"How?"_ Merlin demanded.

          "Make them believe it was all a dream," she suggested. "A heavy enough sleep will make them believe what we tell them."

          "Whatever works…" he sighed. "So we switch the mismatched pair around, put them to sleep, and tell them that this was all a dream?"

          "Not in so many words."

          "Seeing as we have no other options."

          Careful to place all couples as far away from one another as possible, Merlin and the Faerie Godmother fixed what they had started—Leon and Yuffie, and Cloud and Aerith were in their rooms; Sora and Kairi had been moved from behind the café into a vacant house; Riku and Zephyr had ended up in the Item Synthesis Shop, where Zephyr stayed at night. The Faerie Godmother began a chant:

"Now this night has nearly ended— Think but this, and all is mended: That you have but slumbered here While these visions did appear. And when you wake May all you've seen Be no more yielding but a dream." [A/N: Variation of what Puck said at the end of A Midsummer Night's Dream.] "You 'aven't seen where Aerith went, have you?" Yuffie asked as she watched Riku and Zephyr throw a tennis ball back and forth—or up and down the side of a building, as Zephyr was sitting in a windowsill.           "Last I knew, with Cloud," Riku said absently, ducking a missile of a throw from Zephyr. "Watchit!" He yelled.           "Then where's Cloud?" Yuffie asked.           "You dun need to know," Riku said. "You dun wanna know."           Before she had a chance to reply, Leon found her. "Been lookin' fer you." He paid no attention to his small audience as he kissed her neck.           "Was that really all just a dream?" Zephyr asked.           "Was what a dream?" Yuffie asked.           "Everything that happened yesterday," she said. When she got confused looks, she lifted up her hair and revealed a bite mark on her neck. "These are not attained from merely dreams. An' Riku dun' bite." Leon immediately looked sick.           "I kissed Zephyr? I should go get tested for rabies!"           "Zephyr?" Yuffie blinked up at him, utterly confused.           "That girl has a kiss that could suck the tongue outta yer mouth like a vacuum," he said to her as they walked off.           As they left, they could hear Zephyr's, "I heard that!" and Riku's, "Amen."           As soon as they were out of earshot, the silver-haired boy looked up at her, about to ask a question.           "Yea, I said I meant it," she told him.           "How d'you always know what I'm gonna say 'fore I say it?"           "Dunno."           He sighed. "So you meant it…"           Zephyr had a sinister grin on her lips. "I'm good with loopholes," she told him. "I said I'd sleep with you, but I never said when, and all I said was 'sleep.' So for all you know it could ten years from now."           "Damn you—you kin find yer way through loopholes the size of pinholes."                                                                                                              ~*~ 

**"What fools these mortals be!"**

**—Puck, _A Midsummer Night's Dream_**

I hurried through with the end, because I ran out of things to do to everyone, and I didn't fancy the idea of sticking to the play and turning someone into a half-donkey. But still, it's funny doncha think? And I think from now on, when I'm stuck fer ideas, I'll put fluffy scenes with various pairs in just so my readers don't abandon me. Like if I can't think of anything to put for a Chapter Ten, I'll write a pointless fluff thing for Cloud/Aerith, Leon/Yuffie, or Sora/Kairi. (People tend _not_ to like Riku/OC's, so unless asked otherwise, I won't do a Riku/Zephyr.)


	10. Song: I'm Still Here

I had this song stuck in my head so I looked up the words. And guess who they remind me of? (Let's see if anyone can guess…)

No, this isn't another story or chapter. Please, don't hurt me. I'm putting this on hold until "Together Forever, Eternally Apart" is finished, which it will be fairly soon. In any case… this was something that I just could not resist. I do not own the song—it's from Disney's "Treasure Planet" and the song belongs to John Rzeznik. Hah! Now you can't sue me!

~*~

I'm Still Here

**(Jim's Theme)**

John Rzeznik 

I am a question to the world

Not an answer to be heard

Or a moment that's held in your arms

And what do you think you'd ever say?

I won't listen, anyway

You don't know me

And I'll never be what you want me to be

And what do you think you'd understand?

I'm a boy—no, I'm a man

You can't take me and throw me away

And how can you learn what's never shown?

Yea, you stand here on your own

They don't know me

'Cause I'm not here

And I want a moment to be real

Wanna touch things I don't feel

Wanna hold on and feel I belong

How can the world want me to change?

They're the ones that stay the same

They don't know me

'Cause I'm not here

And you see things they never see

All you wanted, I could be

Now you know me and I'm not afraid

I want to tell you who I am

Can you help me be a man?

They can't break me

As long as I know who I am

And I want a moment to be real

Wanna touch things I don't feel

Wanna hold on and feel I belong

How can the world want me to change?

They're the ones that stay the same

They don't know me

'Cause I'm not here

They can't tell me what to be

'Cause I'm not the one that they see

Yea, the world is still sleepin'

While I keep on dreamin' for me

Their words are just whispers and lies

That I'll never believe

And I want a moment to be real

Wanna touch things I don't feel

Wanna hold on and feel I belong

How can they say I'll never change?

They're the ones that stay the same

I'm the one now

'Cause I'm still here

I'm the one

'Cause I'm still here

I'm still here…

I'm still here…

I'm still here…

~*~

Hmm… this remind you of one of our characters? I'll give ya a hint—it's a guy. And I guess you could apply it to his relationship with that "special someone," too. Lets see who can guess. And while you're here, why not go click on the link to my stories and go check out "Together Forever, Eternally Apart"? It would be nice and encouraging if I got more reviews for that… *hint, hint, hint*


	11. Zephyr's Report

Finally, I have gotten the idea for something, but it isn't really all that good, but it popped into my head when I was going through the DVD cabinet and I saw a list of M*A*S*H episodes, one of which being "Radar's Report." So I decided to make it Zephyr's report! Please let this be okay…

Summary: Zephyr writes up a report, on Cid's orders, on everything that has happened over the last week. Includes scenarios of fights, love, nasty threats, a snowstorm, and a few fluffy scenes.

I own not the people ('cept for Zephyr) nor the plot… or the idea of the report, anyway. That belongs to Alan Alda and the creators of M*A*S*H, and the characters belong to Squaresoft. _IF YOU HAVEN'T FIGURED THAT OUT BY NOW, YOU ARE BETTER OFF DROWNING IN YOUR OWN GENE POOL!_

Lemmie explain the font, as well: ~~~ = separation between events and the present, when Zephyr is writing them down; **bold print** = an event; _italics_ = writing.

                                                                                                             ~*~

Riku was already sleeping on his couch downstairs as Zephyr made her way up to her own room above the empty Accessory Shop. She heard footsteps outside and the door opened; she didn't bother to see who it was as she turned and went to greet Cid as he walked in, calling for her. They bumped into one another.

          "Zeph—_will you stop doing that?"_ He hissed.

          "Doing what?"

          "Coming before I call you!" He paused. "Anyway, I got a job fer ya."

          Zephyr groaned. "Cid, it's Sunday night, and I've gotta open up tomorrow, remember?" She sighed. "Whatcha need?"

          "Write up the week's report."

          "Can't it wait until tomorrow?" It had been going on for a few weeks now that Cid was having her document everything that they did over the span of seven days at a time. He said it was in case something happened and they needed something in their defense, although the girl could think of nothing that would need such a thing. She kept this comment to herself.

          "No, cuz then it would be next week, and not this week."

          She looked at her watch. "In about and hour and a half, it will be tomorrow and this week will be last week, and tomorrow will be today and today will be yesterday and next week will be this week."

          Cid rubbed his temples. "Look, girly, the longer you blather is longer you stay up writing."

          She sighed but did not argue. She climbed up the ladder into her room and settled down with a pen and started writing on a sheet of paper. The pen was not writing. She shook it, and then unscrewed the tip and looked at the ink level—the pen was dry. She scrounged a few more pens, but they were all dry, too, and she couldn't find a pencil.

          "I hope he'll accept it written in green crayon," she muttered to herself as she began to write.

~~~

_Events Report_

_Week of April 27th to May 4th_

~~~

She rubbed her eyes and thought hard, back to Monday. What had happened then? She rested her head in her hands as she remembered what had been going on that day.

~~~

Sora and Kairi had hidden themselves well from everyone else. Their hotel room had only a single door (their room did not have a balcony, as it was higher up on the next floor) and it locked from the inside. The generator had broken down, leaving them in the dark, and in the uncharacteristic cold of late April.

          **Kairi lay on her side with her head in Sora's lap, practically purring. Despite the cold, he'd flung off his gloves and was running one hand through her hair absently as he stared out the window. There wasn't much to see—outside, it was quite dark.**

**          He lifted her up to face him, a difficult task, as she was rather limp from being tired. She had her head cocked slightly to one side, confused, until he pulled her down and kissed her. They were a tangle of bodies until they heard someone walk past.**

**          "Damn," Sora muttered, letting himself fall back down, and hitting his head on the headboard. "Maybe if we pretend we aren't here, we'll get our privacy back."**

**          "If we aren't here, why would we need the door locked?" Kairi pointed out. She hadn't moved from her position, on her hands and knees and towering over him. "The door _is_ locked, isn't it?"**

**          "'Course it is. Would I put us in that kind of danger?" He put his hand over Kairi's mouth when she was about to answer him. "That was a rhetorical question!"**

**          Whoever had been outside had left. "Should we go find somewhere else to hide? I mean… if someone wanted to come lookin' fer us, this'd be the first place they would look," she pointed out when Sora moved his hand.**

**          "Yer right." He stood up, bringing Kairi with him in his arms. She squeaked a little and put one arm around his neck and the other over his shoulder.**

**          "You can put me down, now."**

**          "I know I can," he grinned. "I just don't want to." He leaned to kiss her again when someone walked past the door again. It took him by surprise and he nearly dropped her on the floor. "Maybe you can just walk," he said, blushing slightly and letting her get to the ground.**

          "If you insist." She tried hard to keep from giggling.

~~~

Writing with a crayon had its' disadvantages. It was running shorts and the blunt tip kept messing up Zephyr's small handwriting. She did the best that she could with it.

          "Now how to write that down and not make it seem as racy as it really was…" she muttered. She shrugged and went back to writing again.

~~~

_The generator in the Second District hotel, where several people have established standing residence, has ceased to work for the duration of the week due to complications and a broken fan belt. Incident has led to many people trying to find other places to stay for a time, either until the generator is fixed or until it starts acting more like spring—whichever comes first._

_          Videotaping, audio-recording, rewriting, or in any other way spying on others and their personal lives is here on out banned from use. Blackmail, however, is not._

~~~

She wrinkled her nose. A good deal of spying and been done on Riku and herself, as well. She glanced down into the bottom half of the shop to see him sleeping soundly. She smiled to herself, remembering other events.

~~~

"I can't believe how much it's snowing out there!" Yuffie was pressed up against the window and watching huge clumps of snowflakes fall—at the end of April. They were inside an empty house that they had fixed up and gotten only three keys to—that way only certain people could gain entrance to it. Only Yuffie, Aerith, and Zephyr had keys, but Kairi was often let in—when she was not with Sora. Today, however, _all_ of the girls were in the small house, trying to keep warm. A fire was lit and crackling in the fireplace and they had stored food in a cellar beneath the house. The cellar had been discovered by accident when Yuffie stood on a rug for too long and it gave beneath her, revealing that the rug had been put not over the floor, but over the trapdoor leading to the cellar. The door had since been reattached and they used it to store food. And blankets.

          "Yea, it's comin' down pretty hard." Zephyr looked out the window next to her. The ground was covered in a fine sheet of snow, and the snow was coming down harder, and cutting visibility considerably. It was difficult to see anything more than a yard past the window.

          Aerith sat at a small, round table, wrapped up in her thick blue gown, which she kept for colder weather, and had her hands clutched around a mug of hot tea. "I just _hate_ it when Mother Nature played tricks on us like this," she said with a heavy sigh. "That's one other thing that I hate about this place. There's no seasons, so it's _impossible_ to tell what the weather might do the next day!"

          Kairi, sitting next to her, only nodded her agreement and wrapped her blanket around herself more tightly. During _this_ cold spell, she was wearing her _own_ clothes. The first time it had been considerably cold in Traverse was not long after Sora, Kairi, and Riku had shown up. The islanders had been caught without proper clothing for such weather, and had had to borrow things from the others. Once it was warmer again, and everybody had their own clothes back, Zephyr had threatened them to do something gory unless they bought their _own_ clothing for such weather. Now Kairi sat in her chair dressed in long jeans, a t-shirt, and a purple overcoat.

          "See, now, Kairi Darling?" Zephyr said with mock-sweetness. "Isn't it nice not to have to wear someone _else's_ clothes?"

          "Yea, it is," she snapped back with the same amount of sarcasm. The two had never much liked one another because they contrasted so much with one another—Kairi was sweet, optimistic, and lighthearted; Zephyr had a dark personality that went nicely with her ominous appearance—but they had toned themselves down considerably over the last months in the year since Kairi had arrived. They had all grown to, if not _like_ one another, than at least _tolerate_ one another.

          Yuffie grabbed a chair and put it up to a table facing backwards, then straddled it and leaned her head on her arms on the table. Zephyr sat much the same, only she had to get up on her knees on the seat of the chair.

          "Can't you two sit like _normal_ people?" Aerith asked them.

          Both turned their heads to her and announced at the same time, "Normal people scare me."

          "Of course," Aerith chirped. "What _was_ I thinking?"

          "You weren't," they told her, again as one.

          There was silence for a minute before Yuffie said something.

          "So same rules like always apply, right?" She asked. "Whatever happens in here _stays_ in here?" She took a sidelong glance at Zephyr. "Nothing used as _blackmail?"_

          "You're no fun," she muttered.

          "Why do we _do_ this material?" Aerith asked. "We get together, lock the doors, and all we do is talk about men."

          "Not true," Kairi said. "We talk about other stuff, too! And stop each other from going into breakdowns. Then we talk about men again." She bit her lower lip a little. "But I guess we're just a bunch of girls in an old house, bitching about everything we can think of."

          "Whoa, Kairi," Zephyr had wide eyes.

          "What?" She frowned. "I can swear."

          "I didn't think you were physically capable," Yuffie said absently.

          "Does the ability to speak have anything to do with physicality, or is it more like… a sense?" Zephyr asked.

          Yuffie shrugged. "Dun look at me. I'm a ninja, not a doctor."

          Kairi shivered. "It's so _cold_ around here!"

          "Really," Zephyr sounded shocked. "Yeh know, with one thing and another, I din' even _notice_ it!"

          "Thank you, Miss Congeniality." She shivered again.

          "Well, we can't make the fire any bigger," Yuffie told her. "It'd burn the whole place down. Just—I dunno, think warm thoughts."

          "Like what?"

          "Sora without his shirt," Zephyr answered tartly before anyone else had an answer.

          "You see?" Aerith said. "I _told _you we always end up talking about men!"

          "We can't help it—three-fourths of us are teenagers and still suffering from overactive hormones." Yuffie giggled when Aerith shot her a glare.

          "Who's _suffering?"_ Zephyr asked. Even Aerith laughed at that remark. "Anyway—seems kinda weird that we talk about it, cuz some of us are still virgins."

          "Who?" Aerith asked.

          "Kairi is one—" she started.

          "No need to rub it in!" Kairi hissed. "Wait—_how do you know?"_

          "I just do," Zephyr said with a shrug.

          "So who're the other ones?" Yuffie asked.

          "Juss me."

          _"You?"_ Aerith seemed quite shocked at hearing this news and stared at the girl with wide green eyes.

          "Uh… yea." Zephyr shifted at little in her seat, sounding uncharacteristically edgy. "Are you?" She was pretty sure she knew the answer to this, and when Aerith failed to provide an answer, she seemed more shocked than ever. "You _aren't?"_ She had always seen Aerith as an innocent, although she _did_ share a room with Cloud…

          "You _are?"_ The Flower Girl sounded just as equally surprised. "I would have though Riku nailed you by now."

          Yuffie, with a mouthful of tea, began to cough, spewing the liquid all across the table.

          "You okay?" Zephyr asked. She nodded.

          "Aerith!" She managed to choke out between coughs.

          "What?" Aerith asked.

          "That's—that's the kinda thing I'd expect to hear outta one of the guys! Or outta Zephyr! Not you!" She recovered her wind.

          "I'll go get a towel," Zephyr stood to find a towel and mop up the mess Yuffie had made, tripped on a leg of the chair, and fell over. She sat, looking dazed for a second. "Yeh know, that din' hurt," she said after nothing registered for almost a full twenty seconds.

          "I _swear,_ girl, I have _never_ met anyone who gets hurt more than you do!" Yuffie sounded somewhere between annoyed and amused.

          "Yes, you've mentioned that," she replied as she mopped up the mess. "Over, and over, and over, and over again." When Yuffie wasn't looking, she rolled the towel and snapped her with it. The ninja yelped and jumped up.

          "That hurt!"

          "What did?" Zephyr asked, sounding as phony as a politician in the week before elections.

          "You snapped my ass with the friggen towel!"

          Aerith leaned over and whispered to Kairi, "You know, some people actually have to go out of their way and pay Munny to see a show like this."

          "Too bad for them," she whispered back.

          "Heard that!" Zephyr spat, right in the middle of her argument with Yuffie.

          Aerith put a hand over her eyes, creasing the skin on her forehead. "I'm beginning to understand how my mother got all those wrinkles on her forehead now." Her voice was barely audible.

          "Yeh know I heard that one, too."

          She took her hand away from her face and pounded the table. "I swear—the CIA could just fire all of its' undercover agents and just hire _you!"_

          There was a knock at the door, and all four girls stopped what they were doing and looked at one another.

          "Who the hell could that be?" Yuffie whispered. She stepped towards the door and unlocked it, letting in a blast of cold air, an inch of snow, and a rather tall person wrapped in a heavy black coat. Whoever was inside was holding something small and round to their chest. The head shook violently until the hood fell, revealing a very cold and wet Leon.

          "Leon? What're you doing here—I thought you were at the café with everyone else," Aerith said.

          "I was," he said. "But I left when I saw this." He drew one hand out of the coat. He was holding what looked to be a small ball of fluff until it moved. It was a puppy. It looked to be about ten or so pounds, and was so ugly that it was cute… somehow. It had a short snout, like a spaniel; one ear stood up and the other flopped a little; the fur was thick and fawn-colored, and the paws looked to be too big. The eyes didn't even match—one was light brown, the other blue.

          Yuffie looked from Leon to the animal and back again, lips curving into a smile. [A/N: I justify Leon taking in a puppy by pointing out how he was concerned about the Dalmatian puppies being scattered all over the worlds!] The animal was most definitely a stray because it was ragged and it needed a haircut and a good bath. "Where was it?" She asked.

          "Outside in an alley. It was freezing cold." He looked to Zephyr. "You've had animals—I figured you could probably take it and at least patch it up some." He held the dog out to her.

          Zephyr held the dog just barely long enough to register that "it" was, in fact, a "he." He began to whimper, paw the air as if he was trying to run, and squirm madly in her arms. She held him back out to Leon, and the dog made it perfectly clear that that was where he wanted to be.

          "Here, take 'im," she said.

          "But I—" Leon began.

          "He dun wanna be with me—he wants you. Take 'im."

          Reluctantly. The man took the puppy, who greeted him with a shower of puppy kisses, pawing at his jacket, and convulsive tail-wagging. Yuffie looked at him with a totally addlepated expression on her face. It was a soft side of Leon that was rarely seen—even for her. Here he was—Leon, the tough, stoic, dark wielder of the Gunblade holding an abandoned puppy in his arms.

          "Looks like yer gonna hafta keep him," Zephyr said.

          "What?" He snapped. "Why?"

          "Because he likes you. I can't _make_ him stay with me, and, lets face it, you _like_ him." She held a hand for the puppy to sniff. He slobbered all over it.

          "Not like I've got a choice," he said, trying to sound indifferent about it, but Yuffie could tell he was glad that Zephyr wasn't going to take the puppy away from him.

          Leon put his hood back up and prepared to leave again.

          "Where're you going?" Yuffie asked.

          "Back to the café. The ovens are all on and I think everyone's planning on sleeping _there tonight, just to keep warm," he said. The generator in the hotel was still not functioning—in fact, it had gotten worse. Some genius had tried to tinker with it to get the heat, at _least,_ to go back on—only he switched the air conditioner on and couldn't get it to stop. It was colder __inside the hotel than out._

          "I'll go with you," Yuffie jumped up and grabbed her jacket off of the wall.

          "Yea, sure, be that way," Zephyr said with fake indignity. "Leave us here like that."

          "Okay!" She chirped. The other girl sighed heavily as the door closed behind them. Eventually, they got bored. They smothered the fire, grabbed their coats, and headed for the café in the First District. Cid, Cloud, Riku, and Sora were already there when they arrived. Zephyr disappeared into the kitchen and came out a minute later with a bowl of warm milk for the puppy. He lapped it up eagerly and looked around for Leon.

          "Here'd the mutt come from?" Cid asked.

          "Leon found him!" Yuffie chirped. She was, as always, in a good mood. She looked from him to the dog and back before asking, "Whatcha gonna name 'im?"

          Leon picked the dog up and looked at him for a second. He sighed. "I dunno. I'll watch 'im fer a while and see how he acts." The dog appeared to have been listening and cocked his head to one side, curious. He whined when Leon put him down on the floor. "Will you _stop it?" He said. "Nothing's gonna happen if you vacate my lap for a while."_

          "'Cept this," Yuffie said. Before he could ask what she meant, she swung into his lap and looped her arms around his neck. The dog didn't notice—he'd found something interesting to sniff and was inspecting every nook and cranny he could find.

          Zephyr was looking at her watch to time their kiss. Forty-five seconds and counting. Kairi was watching, as well, as were Sora and Riku. They were sitting on bar stools, but Zephyr was sitting astride the bar as if it was a horse.

          "I didn't think they could go that long without breathing," Sora said absently.

          "People tend to have all kinds of useless talents," Zephyr said with a shrug.

          "Like what?"

          "I can write with both hands at the same time," Kairi offered. "Writing something different with either one."

          "I didn't know you could do that." Sora had one eyebrow raised.

          "Neither did I," that was Riku.

          She shrugged. "You never asked."

          "I can pick a lock," that was Riku again.

          "So _that's how you were always getting into my stuff!" Sora snapped at him. "I was wondering…" He paused. "I could climb palm trees blindfolded."_

          All three of them looked at Zephyr.

          "What?"

          "There's gotta be something you can do," Kairi said. "That dun involve making everyone's lives miserable."

          "You don't wanna hear it," she muttered.

          "Oh, come on," Riku said.

          She looked at him through narrowed eyes and shrugged. "If you simply _must_ know," she got up and sat on her hip. "I kin arch my back 'til my head touches my feet."

          Riku dropped his glass; Sora leaned in and whispered, "Lucky bitch. If she can bend like that, there's no end to possibilities of—"

          _"SHUT UP!" Zephyr shoved Sora from his seat with her foot to his back._

          Cloud and Aerith had disappeared—into the kitchen seemed to be the most popular answer. It was getting late and they wanted to go home, but there was still the knowledge that the hotel's generator was still not fixed. Cid went to the door to open it so that he could leave, but when he opened the door, six inches of snow fell in.

          "Whoa… whouldja lookit that…" he was staring at something.

          "What is it—holy shit," Zephyr, as well, was looking out the door.

          "Stop gawking in front of an open door!" Yuffie hollered. "Yer letting the snow in! What's to look at, anyway?" She, too, went to see what was so worth staring at. She noticed it as soon as she got to the door. There was at least eighteen inches of snow outside, and it was snowing _hard._ "Ouch. Guess no one's going _anywhere tonight."_

          "That's probably not an inaccurate assumption," Zephyr said with her usual dry humor. "Guess we're stuck _here fer the night, then."_

          It took the better part of an hour to get tables moved and to find blankets to sleep on for the night. It might have taken less time, but the dog was prancing around people's feet, making their task more difficult.

          "Scoot over."

          "I _am scooted over!"_

          "Well tell Cloud to move!"

          "Someone's sitting on my legs—I _can't move!"_

          "How'd'you expect me to get any sleep with yer ass in my back?"

          "I can't sleep!"

          "Why the hell _not?"_

          "I'm on the wrong side of the bed!"

          Zephyr was listening to the scraps of dialogue floating about and finally sat up and asked crossly, "What the hell is everyone _bitching_ about? Around where I grew up, eight people in one bed meant that three family members are _missing!" She sighed._

          "I've seen liters of _puppies don't have this much bodily contact!" Sora hissed._

          "We're not puppies," Riku said absently.

          "Will you people just _shut up and _go the hell to sleep?"_ Aerith was now agitated to the point where she was bristling and swearing at them._

          Finally, everyone was settled down and _just_ beginning to drift off to sleep. Someone spoke up—Kairi.

          "Oh—_damn. I fergot something."_

          "Go in yer pajamas!"

~~~

Zephyr kept her giggles to a low volume as she finished writing that part of the report. By this time, her crayon was half the length of her pinky. She'd have to find a new one. She put it down and searched under the tables, in corners, and underneath her mattress to find a crayon.

~~~

[A/N: By the way—just to clear up some confusion here, the bold stuff isn't what Zephyr is recalling, it's just the events that had happened.]

          It had taken some time, but eventually Cloud and Aerith had stolen time away from everyone else. A safe place to hide would be a dark, vacant room to which there was only _one_ door that locked from the inside and _only from the inside. Fortunately, they found one._

          Since the snow had melted, they were finally free to do as they wished without worrying that people were watching them—although sound was still a problem. Cloud kept her mouth covered with his so she wouldn't squeak as his hand argued with the number of fastenings on the front of her dress. He was losing wonderfully to an article of clothing.

          Eventually he gave that up, figuring that it might just be easier to wait until they got into the hotel and she took off the dress on her own. He dropped his hand and left a trail of kisses down her neck, shoulders… Aerith squeaked a little bit again when he got to the collar of her dress, and was quick to cover her mouth up.

          There was a sound—a metallic "chunk" and then some very quiet humming.

          "What was that?" Aerith managed to get out, head thrown back and Cloud's lips on her neck. He didn't bother lifting his head as he voiced an inquiring sound. "It sounded like the generators kicking in," she said. This made him stop what he was doing—reluctantly.

          "The hotel's generators?"

          "Yes."

          "Thank God." He took her by the hand and unlocked the door. "C'mon."

          They hurried over the slick streets to the doors of the hotel—when they got in, it was discovered that Aerith had been right. The generators had kicked in again and the heat and lights were back on. No one else was in the hotel. Cloud unlocked their room and both were happy to see that everything was the way that they had left it when they were forced to leave the hotel under the cold conditions two days before.

          Cloud pushed her into one of the walls and pressed his lips to her neck, but Aerith had her head turned to the door on her right that led into the Green Room next door.

          "I can hear something," she whispered. Frowning, she twisted the knob, discovering that it was not locked, opened the door a crack, and peeked inside. Immediately, she shut the door and pressed her back to it, blushing and looking both embarrassed and shocked.

          "What's in there?" Cloud asked her curiously. She didn't answer, so he moved her out of the way and looked for himself, and he thought that his jaw could have hit the floor.

          In the Green Room, laying on the bed and covered with blankets, was a very shocked Leon. He was sitting up slightly and the blankets had fallen down some, revealing a bare chest. Next to him, equally shocked, was Yuffie. She had a sheet pulled up under her arms with one hand to cover herself up. Both were scarlet with humiliation. Scattered around on the floor were various articles of clothing, a number of Yuffie's shurikens, and Leon's Gunblade cast carelessly aside.

          "How long have _you been here?" Yuffie finally asked once she was mostly over her shock._

          Leon leaned in and whispered very quietly to her, "Obviously not long if they din' hear all the noise you made." Yuffie turned redder and swatted him.

          "Not two minutes," Aerith answered. She had either not heard what Leon had said, or else she ignored it. "What about you?"

          "Long enough to get undressed," Cloud murmured. She shot him a glare.

          "Since before the heat kicked in," Yuffie said, voice even. The number of blankets piled on their bed was evidence enough of her story.

          "Leonheart, get up out of that bed," Cloud hissed.

          "I'd like to comply," Leon said evenly, "but my pants are still on that chair behind the door."

          Aerith leaned in and poked her head around to the other side of the door where a wooden chair stood, and piled on it were a pair of black pants, a yellow scarf, a sweatshirt, and someone's boots.

          "Why don't we let 'em get dressed—then we can yell at them," Cloud said, and turned to leave. Aerith was still staring as if in a daze. "Aerith—I meant to let 'em get dressed _alone." He took her hand and pulled her back into their room._

          "Right. Alone. Sorry, I guess I'm still in shock…" she put one hand on her forehead like she had a headache.

          The second they were gone, Leon and Yuffie leaned forward toward each other again. The door burst open again and Cloud appeared.

          "And don't start again!"

          SLAM.

          Yuffie took one of the blankets off the top and wrapped herself in it, then stood up. "Well, that was embarrassing."

          "To say the least." Leon was still in the same spot; he just rolled over and supported himself on his elbow and looked up at her. "Couldja pass me my clothes?" A pair of pants and a shirt came flying at him.

          "I dunno what could be worse—them walking in on us—"

          "They just _did!"_

          She ignored him. "Or us walking in on _them."_

          On the other side, Aerith leaned against the wall with her face in her hands. Her shoulders were shaking with suppressed laughter and she was making little squeaky noises.

          "I don't know which is worse. If we walked in on them again, or if they walked in on _us!" She said through her hands._

~~~

"What are you doing up so late?" Someone had come upstairs while she was on a quest for something to write with. She gave a start and turned quickly to see who it was, not surprised to find that Riku had come upstairs. He was the only other person in the building with her. "I thought you were asleep already," he whispered.

          "No need to whisper," she said as she sat up. "No one can hear us. And what're you doing up here while I'm supposedly asleep, hmm?" She asked. She knew full well what his intentions were. Since they were _still_ sleeping separately, he would sneak up into her room and stay with her for the night. He had to be sneaky—she wouldn't let him come up and stay up.

          "Nothing," he said with perfectly feigned innocence.

          "You can stay up here if yeh want," she said. "But I won't be much fun. Cid gave me the weekly report to do."

          Riku looked at his watch. _"Now?" He asked. "But it's one-thirty in the morning!"_

          "Okay, so then it's _last weeks' report because since it's morning already then it's not today anymore—" a hand was put over her mouth to keep her from talking. If left to her own devices, she would come up with a migraine of a speech about today, yesterday, tomorrow, this morning, last night, and when today turns into tomorrow._

          "Can I still stay?" He said into her ear. He felt her nod and kissed her cheek, then removed his hand.

          "Thank you," she murmured.

~~~

"This is just brilliant," Sora mumbled. They were snowed into Cid's shop—all nine of them crammed into that one little shop. There was a fire burning to keep them warm, but the generator had been covered in snow and wasn't functioning properly. So nine people plus one puppy jammed into one small space, and outside there was a snowstorm in late April.

          "Not anyone's fault, ya know," Cid said. "It's like when we were locked down from the snipers."

          Almost a year ago, Sora had been on a visit to Traverse alone, and a group of snipers came by, trapping them for an entire day.

          "But there was only seven of us and it wasn't snowing," Zephyr said, and scooted herself back against Riku. Both were sitting on the floor between the sofa and the fireplace to keep warm. He was kissing up the back of her neck and around to her cheeks.

          "Riku, get that girl outta yer mouth—you 'ave no idea where she's been!" Sora snapped as if he was talking to a toddler who was putting rocks in his mouth. His friend made no sign of stopping, so he just sighed and leaned back on the couch. Kairi sat in his lap, leaning on his chest. He kissed her forehead.

          "Sora, get her outta yer mouth," Zephyr said in a mocking tone. "You don't know where she's been."

          Instead of looking defeated, Sora, for once, had a comeback. "Sure I do. That why I'm doing it."

          "Touché, my friend," she said, not at all upset that he had a comeback.

          "You just lost to me."

          "I know."

          "Doesn't that upset you?"

          "Kinda. But it's upsetting _you more than me. Thought you always wanted to make me lose."_

          "Yea, but I was hoping that you would lose a little less gracefully."

          "So that's Sora: one; Zephyr: too damn many to count," Yuffie said.

          "Thank you for rubbing it in," Sora mumbled.

          The dog was sniffing around with his nose pushed flat against the floor. He had filled out some in the last four days since he was found, and Leon had given him a bath, but not a haircut, so he was still shaggy and a big ball of fluffy, fawn-colored fur. Even after watching him act, he could decide on a name based on that, so Yuffie picked one for him. She'd started calling the dog Scout, because he was always sniffing around like a tracking dog. The name stuck, but he didn't really answer to it—yet.

          Scout whined and pawed at Leon's leg. Leon sighed heavily. "You're pathetic, dog," he told him. The dog sat, tail thumping on the wooden floor, head tilted to one side.

          "So what're we gonna do while we're waiting for the rest of the world to warm up so we can open the doors?" Aerith asked.

          "I dunno—what did we do when we were trapped by snipers?" Sora asked.

          "Nothing. An lots of it," Yuffie recalled with a wince. If they were to be _that bored again, she would scream._

          Unfortunately, there had been _nothing_ to do, and they were resorting to desperate measures. They knew it was getting _really_ boring when Zephyr and Sora were doing something together that did _not_ involve any yelling. Zephyr had found a deck of cards and was playing Gin with him on the table between the two sofas, and neither was saying a word to the other, although they were talking to the others.

          Leon had fallen asleep on one of the couches with Scout in his lap and his feet on the table near the pile of cards that Sora and Zephyr made. It was a distance between the table and the sofa, so he had had to stretch some in order to put his feet up, and now he was slowly sliding off.

          "The Heartless don't bother us anymore, but I think Monotony is more of a problem than they ever were," Yuffie said with a heavy sigh.

          "What makes you say that?" Aerith looked up from her place in Cloud's lap, seated on a chair near the fire. He was dozing slightly and absently stroking her hair.

          "The Heartless kept us busy," Sora said without looking up from his hand. "At least we were up and _doing_ things rather than having to scrounge up things to do like this."

          "Good point," she murmured before settling back down and closing her eyes.

          "Anyone seen Cid anywhere?" Yuffie asked. "I 'aven't seen 'im since we cam in here." No one said anything, but no one had to. There was an answer in the great snore that came from behind that counter. The pilot was fast asleep.

          "I coulda told you that," Zephyr said, switching her cards around and shifting from sitting on her knees to sitting on one hip. "Cid can't stay awake for more than three hours at a time when there's nothing going on. He'll fall asleep behind the counter and not wake up until dinner." She paused. "And then he wonders why he doesn't sleep at night."

          There was a thump and a yelp; Leon had slipped and fallen completely off of the couch, landing on his rear end on the floor and dropped Scout. The dog whimpered and skulked away, but the man stayed sleeping. His head rolled back a little bit, but that was the only change.

          A few minutes went by wherein the only sounds were the crackling fire, the sound of cards being flipped and shuffled, and people murmuring and breathing in their sleep.

          Riku was throwing a tennis ball up into the air and catching it, staring blankly into space. Kairi was on a rug in front of the fire, dozing off. Sora was frequently looking up from their card game to look at her.

          "Yo, Sora," Zephyr snapped her fingers. "Get back to the game, sweetheart!"

          "Sorry," he muttered.

          "Yeh know we're all getting bored when Sora and Zephyr are doing something together," Riku said as he turned on his side and watched them.

          "What's the name of the game?" She asked Sora.

          "Gin."

          She put her cards down on the table, and he stared at them, bewildered. Then he realized something.

          "Hey—you cheated!"

          "Of course I did—how else would I have won?" She said evenly.

          Sora threw down his cards, exasperated, and glared at her. "You…" he growled. "Do me a favor and don't talk to me ever again for the rest of this _lifetime!"_

          "Fine by me," she said as she gathered the cards. "How about the next lifetime, too?" She put the cards out so that she could play solitaire. Sora was no fun when he was sulking because he had lost to someone. He was a very sore loser.

          A few minutes later, Leon yawned and woke up, sliding his eyes open a tiny bit and then widening them when he saw that he was not in his room with Yuffie. His ninja was sitting across from Zephyr at the table and paying a card game with her and Riku.

          "Two fours," Riku said as he placed two cards facedown on the table on the growing pile of cards.

          "Liar." Zephyr picked up the two cards—they were one four and a jack.

          "Damn." He picked up the pile. "You must be cheating."

          "Of course I'm cheating—that's the idea," she said. "Three kings."

          Yuffie shrugged. "Besides, this is just a game of luck—there's no way to cheat in this game." She put down another card. "One ace."

          "Unless the cards are marked," Riku suggested. Immediately, all three of them turned their cards over to look for markings, but the deck was blanks but for the faded red and white design on the back.

          "Well so much for that theory," Zephyr said with a shrug. "Too bad—we coulda played poker like that."

          "If you played poker with a marked deck, someone'd _kill_ you," Leon said. "What the hell are you playing, anyway?"

          "Game dun have a name. Zephyr made it up," Riku said. "Four twos."

          "Of course," Leon said. "I can imagine our Zephyr inventing a game in which the main idea is to _cheat."_

          Time passed again, and they had run out of card games. A game of poker between Cid, Leon, and Cloud had turned violent, so Aerith hid the cards so no one could play anything with them.

          "I—am—so—bored," Zephyr said, words breaking. "I can feel it swelling inside me—like I swallowed a beach ball."

          "I'd actually like to see you try to do that," Leon snapped at her. "With any luck, you'll choke."

          "Ah, shutup," she said. "Or you'll find the beach ball shoved down _your_ throat."

          "That was lame."

          "So are you, but no one complains."

          "Are you trying to make me look stupid?"

          "I don't have to—you do a damn good job of it all on your own."

          _"Ouch,"_ Yuffie said with a smile slowly creeping onto her face. "One point for the teenager!"

~~~

Zephyr had scribbled down a few more things but was having a hard time concentrating with Riku wrapped around her waist from behind and breathing heavily on her neck.

          "I can't think when you do that," she said, twisting in his arms.

          "Why d'you think I'm doing it?" He whispered in her ear. A kiss on her neck made her shiver and another made her forget what she had been doing and turn to face him.

          She would only let him do this when no one else was around, never where anyone could watch. But every so often she would slip in public and kiss him where anyone could see them, but not often.

~~~

Snow had mostly melted—instead of eighteen inches, it was only six, and it was steadily warming and the snow was melting. It was Saturday, and that meant that Cid's shop was closed and Zephyr was free to do what she wanted. Right then, she was walking through the snow up past her ankles, but her boots beneath her jeans came up to her knees so her feet stayed dry.

          "Hello, Riku," she said. Riku, behind her, sighed heavily.

          "You can _always_ tell when I'm coming—how do you do it?" He asked.

          "Dunno. I guess I just heard you coming is all."

          "But we're buried in six inches of snow—I wasn't making any sound."

          "Well, then, I guess it was just a lucky guess, I guess." She started to walk on, but stopped at the length of her hood. Riku had grabbed her sweatshirt hood in one hand like a leash. She looked back at him. "Yes?"

          He dragged back on the hood until she was face-to-face with him, aquamarine eyes to stormcloud gray and she was certain that she was melting from the inside out. He took advantage of the fact that she was not going to scratch and kissed her softly.

          "How can you _do_ that?" Someone asked. Without breaking their kiss, Riku looked to see who it was. It was Sora. Now, reluctantly, he _did_ break their kiss, much to Zephyr's dismay.

          "How do I do _what?"_ He asked back.

          "I mean how can you get her to stand still like that? And how can you get that close and _not_ get bitten?"

          "Easy," he said, and looped an arm around Zephyr's waist. "She likes me."

          "How can you _stand it?"_

          Riku looked at his friend oddly. "How would you know what she's like?"

          "Because I kissed Zephyr once before," he said with a sick look on his face, remembering what had happened about two months ago with Merlin experimenting with love potions. "Kissing Zephyr is like kissing Sephiroth."

          "Oh," Riku said, frowning and sounding a little stupid. "Hey, wait a second—you kissed _Sephiroth?"_

          "What's a Sephiroth?" Zephyr asked.

          "Worse of a demon than you are," Sora snapped before Riku could say anything. Then he saw Kairi walking a few yards away. The brunette grinning a little and picked up a handful of snow and made a snowball out of it. Then he lobbed it gently at Kairi—it hit her on the back. "Gotcha, Kairi!" He said playfully. Within an instant, a snowball came zooming towards him and hit him on the side of the face. Another followed, and he stumbled backwards.

          "Ah-hah," came a sarcastic tone from Kairi. "I gotcha back."

          "Ooh, she's good," Zephyr murmured.

          Riku looked at his friend, who had snow all over his face. "Keep forgetting that yer dating captain of the girl's softball team, doncha?"

          Sora groaned. "I can't _believe_ her arm is still that good!" He staggered off.

          "Anyway," Riku said as he watched his friend leave. "Where were we?"

          Zephyr grinned slyly. "Right about here." She lifted herself up onto her toes and put her arms around his neck and kisses him quickly. But he wouldn't let her pull away.

          "You know, hanging around Traverse Town can sometimes be like reading a trashy romance novel," Yuffie said. She and Aerith had been sitting inside a building to let themselves dry off and were watching the young pair from the window.

          "Is there something wrong with that?" The Flower Girl asked.

          "No, nothing at all," the other girl shifted in her seat. "It's cute, doncha think?"

          "Very," Aerith said.

          "I'd still like to know how far down her throat her can get his tongue."

~~~

Zephyr was up until very early morning. She'd gone through six sheets of paper, four crayons, and half of a pot of tea, but she was finally done. She put the report into a folder and curled up next to Riku, who had already been asleep for about an hour. She snuggled up to him before she fell asleep.

          The next morning, Zephyr had opened up shop and was hauling a box full of Aero Gummi parts into the supply closet. She rushed out and held the door shut and hoped that the hinges wouldn't give way. She spotted Cid sitting in a chair behind the counter, feet up on the countertop, head down, and snoring loudly. She remembered the report and dashed up the stairs in a flash to get it.

          "Cid?" She shook him gently by the shoulder. He didn't stir. "Cid, wake up." Again, no reaction. Thinking carefully, she straightened and said loudly, "I din' know a woman could bend that way."

          Immediately, the pilot jerked awake and sat bold upright, lost his balance, and fell on the floor. He saw the papers she was holding and glared at her, righting his chair and sitting back down.

          "Zephyr, whatever if is, sign it, cancel it, or order five more," he hissed.

          "Can't do that."

          "Why in hell not?"

          "It's the week's report. The one you asked me to write up last night—I need you to sign it."

          "Didn't I _just_ sign it?" He asked venomously.

          "Uh, no that was four days ago, and it was the _last_ report." She handed him a pen and the papers.

          "Will you let me read it?"

          "Go ahea—"

          "You never let me read _anything_ I'm signing." He flipped through the pages. "Hey, this is all multicolor!" Pause. "Is this _crayon?"_

          "Um… yes."

          "Why didn't you use a pen?"

          "I couldn't find one that had any ink in it."

          "Then why didn't you use a pencil?"

          "I couldn't find one—that's why I was usin' the pen."

          "Oh." He sighed and flipped through the report, murmuring what he was seeing to himself, every so often getting a coherent word in. Mumble, mumble. "Generator down in hotel…" mumble, mumble, mumble, "stray dog… Scout… foot and a half of snow… fight in a poker game… sudden meltdown… Sora belted with a snowball from Kairi… Leonheart sustained injuries while practicing fighting in the Waterway with Yuffie…" he sighed. "Well, I guess _every week can't be exciting," he said. "Can I get a—" Zephyr handed him a pen before he could finish asking for one. He didn't bother getting mad—he knew now that he was _never_ going to be able to get a full sentence in while in her presence. He handed back the papers. "Go on, kid. Scat."_

          "Huh?"

          "Go do something else than hang around here," he said.

          "You sure you kin stay awake?"

          "Of course I'm sure! Now git outta here."

          Zephyr grinned widely. "Thanks, Cid!" She said as she made a beeline for the door. The more obnoxious things that she did this week would mean more fun things to write about come Sunday night.

                                                                                                             ~*~

I am _so INCREDIBLY SORRY_ that I haven't posted in forever! I have a valid excuse—my friggen psychiatrist changed my meds dosage just after I posted "Let Be What Is Balanced," and since then I have been totally _sunk for anything to write. I haven't been able to get thoughts together or get _anything_ written! It must be a side effect. But will my parents stop it? Nope. Grr… *bites a chunk out of the desk* Anyway—please make this depressed author happy and review and she will be very happy!_

I have a coming attraction that will wonderfully wrap up my "Other Halves" saga. It's the final episode, called, "A Day Without Rain." It's named after a song by Enya, but the song is an instrumental so it isn't a songfic. Anyway—it's going to be _long,_ so it isn't very soon in coming. Don't worry—Zephyr won't be gone any time soon.

Hey, by the way—I was kicking some AnsemAss downstairs in Kingdom Hearts (and cried at the ending movie, naturally) and when I was fighting Ansem, there was this one thing that kept getting to me. It gets to me every time, too. When he calls his guardian-demon-Heartless-thingy to come stand in front of him, what he says sounds a lot like, "EN GUARDIAN!" Like "en guarde!" in a sword fight. Is it just me, or does anyone else hear that? (Oh, by the way—you _can hurt Ansem when his Guardian is in the way—if you use Ragnarok before he calls it and then use Impact, it hurts Ansem. ISN'T THAT SOOOOO COOL??)                    _


	12. A Day Without Rain Finale

Okay, people—here it is. As much as I hate to do it, I fear that this is where Zephyr's Saga must come to an end. Alas, things must end eventually, and now is when it does… of course, I may come back and write more fics with Zephyr and Riku in them, but we may just have to see. Anyway—here's the last installment of my wonderful story: _A Day Without Rain._

Summary: Islanders Sora, Kairi, and Riku are beginning to get homesick, as it has been over two years since they had come to Traverse Town. They stumble across a way to get back to Destiny Islands, and Riku tries to persuade Zephyr to come with him, but she explains that Traverse is her home now—she can't go with him. A new enemy has come, one as fearsome as the Heartless—Aerith is attacked and loses her ability to speak, which makes Cloud nearly lose his _mind._ Leon and Yuffie have a hellacious fight, resulting in some terrible consequences. Things from Zephyr's past turn up in the small town—one of which she does _not_ wish to see. Alliances will be made and broken, sacrifices will be made, and all must make choices and face fears—whether they are ready to or not.

Since this is the last installment, I won't yell at those poor, insignificant idiots who, after all these months of harassment, still don't know that I only own Zephyr, and that everything else belongs to Disney and Squaresoft.

~~~ = dreams or flashbacks (I've given up on bold and italics for extended periods of writing.)

                                                                                                             ~*~

"Unless someone figures out how to hurt these things, I can pretty much safely assume by now that we will _not_ be able to go without a nervous twitch for some time." The speaker was a girl—or a young woman—in her late teens. She was small for her age of nearly eighteen, and was dressed much like a boy; long black hair hung loose down her back and stopped below her waist and her bangs fell into her worried gray eyes.

          "Easier said than done," one of her companions said. It was a young woman, slightly older than the first, with short black hair and dark navy eyes. She, like the rest of the group crammed into the small house, was pale-skinned from exhaustion; her eyes had a nervous and worrisome gleam to them and had lost their normal spark of perkiness.

          A spiky-brown-haired boy sat by the window in the small house, nursing an enormous Mardi Gras bruise [A/N: a "Mardi Gras" bruise is what I call a bruise that swells up all yellow and purple and green—Mardi Gras colors.] on his arm. He looked up from his work. "As if we _needed_ any reminders, _Yuffie,"_ he hissed. "I never thought I'd say this, but I actually agree with Zephyr. Even the Keyblade doesn't do much to them." He sighed heavily and went back to nursing his bruise. "They've _gotta_ have a weakness of _some_ kind, right?" He sounded somewhere between making a point and begging for an answer.

          "Don't look at me," Zephyr said. "I know no more than does anyone else." In a rare show of fear and affection, she leaned back into the silver-haired young man behind her—Riku—and closed her eyes. She was visibly trembling and her breath came shakily. It meant that the FearFeeders were coming.

          Some could sense the monsters coming from many yards away, before they were visible to the naked eye. Others could only know if they were coming if they saw one right in front of them, or if they saw people running madly from them. The creatures were, for the most part, six feet tall, in the form of a shapeless silhouette of a man. They were either completely black so that they blended with the shadows, or they were a ghostly blue-white color; without exception, however, every single one of them had large, pupil-less, blood red eyes. They would sneak up on people and surround them, becoming more of a stretch of black shadow or blue-white mist. The victim would see, hear, feel, and smell their worst fears, and the monsters fed on the emotion—hence the name FearFeeder.

          Once the monster was strong enough and the victim was too shaken to resist anything, it would reach into their heart and pull out the Essence of Emotion—the source of all of their emotions. Once that was gone, the victim still lived but was void of feelings. They were like fleshy stones—they still breathed, but there was no point in them living. From their Essence was born a new FearFeeder.

          There were ways to escape from the creatures if trapped—they were not solid, so it was possible to charge through them and make a run for it, although to come in contact with one was so cold that it burned, and it left skin tingling and head throbbing for hours afterward. FearFeeders seemed to be able to read minds, and envisioning oneself as being safe would divert them long enough to let the victim escape.

          "They're coming, aren't they?" Riku whispered, stroking her hair and trying to calm the girl down. She was terrified, as they all were, of these things. She had explained it well, once:

          "As humans we fear what we don't understand and can't figure out. We don't know what these things are, where they came from, how they got here, and whose stupid idea it was to _let them_ come here. So maybe that's why we're so scared of them."

          But right after she had said that, she heard someone knocking on the door and had dived underneath a table in fear. Now she had pretty much the same fear—that the FearFeeders were coming—but she was not totally afraid for herself. She was afraid because some of their friends would try and play hero against a foe that they hadn't yet figured out how to hurt. Sora was one of them, but with his injured sword arm and Mardi Gras bruise, he decided against it.

          Zephyr had been right—FearFeeders prowled outside. Red eyes flashed in the streetlights, and the icy cold of fear made them all shiver. Yuffie paced nervously. Leon would see them and try to fight them. He had a thing for fighting unknown monsters, they discovered, even after he was injured multiple times.

          FearFeeders could begin their assault from a distance, and trapped inside like this, they were sitting ducks. Zephyr could swear that she heard and smelled the crackling of a huge fire, as if a building had suddenly caught alight, and she could hear the screams of terrified, trapped horses—a barn fire. The idea made her heart leap from her chest and hammer in her throat—she thought she might suffocate.

          Kairi thought she felt the ground between Sora and herself breaking and tried to restrain her fears. They had all been told before that it was not real, no matter _how_ real it seemed. The girl's face was turning a ghostly gray with fear and hey eyes looked like the pupils were gone. But she held firm and gripped part of her shirt tightly.

          Sora could see much the same of what Kairi saw—the land between them separating like it had when Kingdom Hearts was closed so long ago. But it was fake; it _had_ to be fake.

          Riku saw the ground beneath Zephyr split, and the girl fall into a bottomless crevasse, holding onto the wooden floor desperately, hanging by her fingertips. To prove to himself that it was not real, he closed his eyes; the image was just as clear on the inside of his eyelids as it was when his eyes were open. He swallowed hard and held her tighter, feeling her there in his arms as she had been. The image evaporated now that he had proved it was just that—an image.

          Sora had pulled Kairi up into his lap and their image was gone now that they proved that there was no space between them. Zephyr had it harder, for the image the FearFeeders sent upon her was much like one of the few memories she had of her old home—a barn fire and dying horses was one of the last things that had happened. She raked her nails down her arms, drawing blood, to divert her attention. Riku took both wrists in one hand, whispering, "Stop that," to her.

          Yuffie was pushed against the other window staring outside with wide, terrified eyes. No one saw what she did, but they could guess that Leon was a part of it from the way tears welled in her eyes and her mouth was open in a silent scream. Beads of sweat broke out on her forehead and she reached for the door. Someone grabbed her by the scarf and pulled her back and someone else pushed a crate in front of the door and sat on it—Sora.

          Yuffie was hysterical. "Stop him!" She screamed. "They'll kill him! Please, someone has to stop him!" She broke down and started crying and shrieking. No matter what they did, she wouldn't calm down.

          "Come on, Yuffie, it's just an image," Zephyr said. She shook her. "Come on! Snap out of it. Breathe. He's _fine!"_

          But Yuffie did not stop shrieking. Afraid that she would give away their position, Zephyr reached out and slapped her. _That_ shut her up. And it seemed to give her back a little of her self-control as well. Everyone stared at the smaller of the two.

          "What?" She asked, clutching the bruised hand. "I had to stop her from screaming."

          Sora moved the crate just as someone came pounding on the door. Bad timing. No one moved. There was another knock. And another. Now they were having their doubts about who it might be. A FearFeeder had a very short attention span and would have left after two minutes. Cautiously, Sora stood up and glanced out of the peephole at the top of the door. He breathed a heavy sigh and opened it, allowing Leon to enter—well and whole.

          Yuffie leaped up and launched herself at him, kissing all of him that she could get her mouth on. Leon looked to the side as Sora mouthed, "FearFeeder." Leon understood. It must have taken on his shape in her mind's eye, he concluded. He was one of her only weaknesses.

          A big, floofy [A/N: smart word, huh?] dog waltzed in behind Leon. Scout, a dog adopted by Leon about a year ago, jumped about to inspect everyone to see if they were all still in one piece. He had grown to an enormous size. When he jumped on Zephyr, he could place his paws on her shoulders and slobber on her.

          "Yech… he needs a breath mint," she said as she wiped her face with her sleeve.

          "He's a _dog._ He's _supposed_ to have bad breath," Leon said. Yuffie was letting him breathe now that she had gotten over her fear. The door was shut and locked again and no one could feel any FearFeeders around.

          "It's safe to go out again," Kairi said quietly. Sora, Riku, Zephyr, and Yuffie all sighed with relief. They had been locked in "The Girl's" tiny house for hours waiting for the FearFeeders to end their round.

          "Thank God," Zephyr muttered. "If I hadda be stuck in here any longer, I'd've gone nuts."

          "Whatcha mean 'gone' nuts?" Yuffie asked. "I thought you were already crazy."

          "Touché," said Zephyr, and smile despite herself.

          The last one out of the house locked up—Zephyr. She and Riku set off for the empty Third District back alleys. As they walked, she thought she heard something. She stopped walking and listened, but she could hear anything. She shrugged. Maybe she was just paranoid.

          She walked on, but she heard the noise again. This time, when she stopped, Riku stopped, too.

          "What's up?" He asked. She put a hand over his mouth. This time, there was _definitely_ a sound. It was subtle—faraway, even.

          "D'you hear that?" She asked. He frowned for a second, but then he, too, heard the sound and nodded, as her hand was still on his mouth. He pulled it off.

          "Whatcha think it is?"

          Zephyr passed her hands over her eyes. The sound was a familiar one—one that she _knew_ she should be able to name, but its' identity was maddeningly just out of reach. It was so familiar, though… where had she heard it?

          The sound became steady. _Clop, clop, clip, clop._ Over and over again the sound went. A slow, lumbering sound—

          "I know!" She said suddenly, startling Riku and herself.

          "Know what?"

          "That sound!"

          "Oh?" He asked. "What is it?"

          The steady sound was fading, but the echo of it played over and over again in her head. It sounded, she had realized, like a horses' walk. "A horse. An unshod horse on cobblestones—there was no metallic sound when it walked." She was starry-eyed, like a teenager who had just received her first kiss. Not unreasonable—up until she had met Riku, the only males she'd ever kissed besides her brother had been horses.

          "You're breathing heavy," he said, putting a hand on her back. "Calm down, okay?"

          She was off in her own universe. A horse! Where it had come from and how it had gotten there she did not care. It was equine, and that was enough to make her happy.

          Riku said something, but she didn't catch it.

          "What was that?"

          "I asked you how you were so sure."

          "Oh," she said, and thought a minute. "Because I know that sound. I grew up with horses, remember?" She didn't really expect him to remember it—she mentioned her past rarely.

          "Kinda," he said. Then he saw that she was staring at the ground. Before he had the chance to ask, she was on one knee and tracing her fingers over something. He looked down to see what she was so fascinated with. It was a shape on the ground, like an unfinished circle with a triangle coming up through the back. It was as big as both of his hands put together were.

          "A hoofprint." Zephyr sat back on her heels and bit her lips. "You've not seen something big and four-legged running around here, have you?" She asked him.

          "No… I've been too busy hiding from FearFeeders." He shivered at the thought of the creatures—most people did.

          Zephyr sighed. "How would horses have gotten _here?"_ She mused out loud.

          "Maybe the same way FearFeeders got here?" He suggested.

          She raised her eyebrows. "That's legitimate. A lot of weird stuff has been going on since the FearFeeders showed up."

          "Like that recurring dream you've been having that you won't tell me about?" He said. "The one where you always wake up marinating in sweat and I come upstairs to calm you down?"

          "Yea, like that." She glanced his way. "And don't act like you dun like it! You love the fact that you can come up and stay with me for the night without me trying to bite your arm off."

          "Very true."

          A crate fell over in an alley; both of them nearly jumped out of their skin. Zephyr made a grab for her dagger, and Riku for the wing-shaped sword he was carrying around since the FearFeeders had shown up. [A/N: He kept the sword, okay? Just play along. Oh, and I've taken to calling it the Wingblade.] Neither would do harm of any kind to the creatures, but they felt a little better knowing that they were slightly armed.

          A stray cat came out from the alley where they had heard the crate smash. Both relaxed and lowered their weapons. They were becoming paranoid at the slightest sounds. Everything they heard turned into a FearFeeder; every shadow was a monster stalking them, waiting for the perfect moment to strike and suck them dry of feelings.

          Riku took her hand and squeezed it gently. She looked up at him and for a fraction of a second, lost the somber look that had been plastered on her face for the last few months. But exhaustion and fear was quick to cloud her face again and she looked down at the ground. Without another word, she climbed up a drainpipe, and disappeared through the forest of buildings.

Cloud banged a fist on the table. "I don't understand it!" He yelled. Then he flinched as Aerith bandaged cuts on his shoulders and part of his back. He was more than upset when he realized that his favored Sonic Blade could do nothing to the FearFeeders—even worse was when he narrowly escaped with deep cuts as a souvenir of his confrontation. Curaga worked—somewhat—but his skin was still bruised and tender. He would have these marks for life, Aerith decided, but she didn't tell him that. At least he couldn't see them, either.

          "Cloud, calm down," she said softly. She kissed his neck and moved to sit next to him. "You can put your shirt back on now."

          "Where did these things _come_ from?" He growled from inside a shirt. He pulled it over his head and paced back and forth like a nervous animal. "I _can't_ calm down! What's worse is that every time they attack someone, a new FearFeeder is born, and we have one more to fight, and one less person with which to fight 'em with!" Beads of sweat broke out on his forehead.

          "Please, Cloud," she put a hand on his shoulder. "I know you're mad, but _please_ try and control yourself! If you do something rash…" she swallowed hard. "If you do something rash, you could be killed," she said, voice a low whisper as if she could not bear the thought of it. She lowered her head to hide her tears.

          Cloud sighed and closed his eyes. Aerith was right, just as she usually was in a situation like this one. She thought before she did anything, and he was quick to fight to the death. He put his arm around her shoulders, fighting the limited range of motion due to his injuries, and held her close.

          Before long, the room became icy cold and very dark. Wide-eyed, Aerith looked around the room, frantic because she could hear Sephiroth coming for her. Her stomach lurched at the thought of coming face-to-face with her murderer again. Cloud could feel something, too, as his eyes had glazed and his face was ghostly white. FearFeeders were just outside, and they knew that they had prey.

          "Aerith," Cloud whispered close into her ear. "Go out the back and run. Don't stop and don't look back."

          "What about—"

          "Never mind me. You run."

          "But—"

          "Now!" He hissed. He had meant to sound intimidating, but his voice cracked in fear and the huge mountain of a man quivered like a small child. Sensing that he meant what he said, Aerith fled out the back door and ran down the alley, scaled some crates, and ended back in the First District.

          She slunk quietly and quickly, like a cat. The streets were deserted, and when she heard sounds, she froze and prayed to anything that might listen that she could blend into her surroundings and not be seen. She was almost at a haven—for whatever reason, FearFeeders never ventured into the café.

          She walked slowly towards the side kitchen doors, but she accidentally kicked a rock. It clattered in the empty streets, the sound echoing off of the walls.

          The Flower Girl froze in her place, just waiting for something terrible to happen. She did not have long to wait. In a matter of seconds, FearFeeders were coming out of nowhere.

          They were towering monsters compared to her. They walked slowly, their steps slow and deliberate as they closed their distance between themselves and the terrified Aerith. They didn't need to immobilize her with images of fears, now. Just the sight of them had her rooted to her spot.

          Or so they thought. She tore herself away from them and bolted like a crazed rabbit on the run from a fox. FearFeeders followed her, gliding up off the ground and swimming through the air after her—three black shadowy ones and a blue-white one. Red eyes were fixed on her as she wove through the streets, never keeping a straight pattern, and taking the most difficult route she could get to. That was what they had been told to do—if they were chased, make random turns, stop, turn around, take the most dangerous path, throw things in their way, and if you fell, get back up and run like hell.

          For the most part, this worked, but the FearFeeders did not give up a chase so easily. If they had to wait for their prey, they had a very short attention span, but they loved a good chase. But they were running out of steam. Aerith was nearly winded, but adrenaline kept her moving at a speed she didn't know she had. She ran around a corner, and shoved a barrel over. FearFeeders were solid, and the blue-white one was knocked backwards. Somewhere in the chase, one of the shadowy ones had left, but there were still the remaining two to deal with. She had to outrun them. If she didn't… she didn't want to think about that. Run, she told herself. Run, keep running, and don't slow down even if you think you're going to die. Better die of exhaustion than Death by FearFeeder.

          She was slowing down, too. She felt sick and her chest was on fire. She kept running, but her legs were weak. She tripped on her dress and slid a few feet across the flagstones, propelled by her ground speed. She turned around in time to see two pairs of dark red eyes and a swirling mist of black closing around her. She felt sick; her head spun and she felt weak.

          Cloud had escaped his own battle with the FearFeeders, and had seen his Aerith disappear underneath the black shadowy mist. Fears for himself evaporated. Blood rushed in his ears and he charged the monsters. He felt cold when he came in contact with one. He managed to shove one aside, and when he was about to pull Aerith from the grasp of the second, both disappeared just as suddenly as they had appeared in the First District.

          Aerith was still standing—but just barely. She had not had her Essence taken. She was still alive and whole, but she teetered back and forth, unbalanced on her own two feet. Cloud dashed over and caught her just as she fell and blacked out.

          Getting back into the hotel was a little tricky with one arm. He had Aerith draped over his shoulder limply, but he was determined to get her to the safety of their room with the greatest care. Once there, he did not know what to do. She needed medical attention—he knew that much. But he didn't want to leave her side. He wad too afraid of what might happen if he did. Instead, he stayed by her side, and waited, hoping for the best. If Yuffie or Leon came into the Green Room next door, he could get one of them to help. Yuffie, most likely—she was more experienced.

          Cloud was lucky—Yuffie's "sixth sense" went off and she came into their room, careful to knock first, lest she walk in on a fairly delicate situation. She spied Cloud on one knee on the floor next to the bed and Aerith seemingly peacefully sleeping on it.

          "What happened?" She asked, stumbling over. It seemed like she had also had a bit of a rattle from the FearFeeders, as well. She ignored her own condition and looked at the unconscious Aerith.

          "I don't know. All I saw were FearFeeders, but she looks like she collapsed from exhaustion, and possibly from shock." He stroked her hair but she stayed flat on her back and unresponsive to him, as if in a coma. He hoped that that was _not_ the case.

          "I'll take it from here," Yuffie said gently. Cloud sighed and nodded, leaving the room. Although he trusted Yuffie, he was still worried and paced in front of the door up and down the halls until the part of the carpet he was walking on was a little worn-looking.

          "Hey, what's up with you?" Someone asked. Cloud turned to see Sora standing in the doorway of the hotel. He didn't answer him. "No one's seen you for _hours—_we're getting worried! And—where's Aerith?" He was immediately sorry that he had mentioned the woman's name. The look Cloud gave him was so withering that he could almost feel himself drooping into the floor. He swallowed hard.

          Cloud wasn't saying anything. He kept looking at the bright red door that separated him from Aerith on the other side. The door opened, and Yuffie appeared, but it didn't register in his head until she had closed the door and snapped her fingers in front of his face. He blinked and shook the stupor from his head.

          "When'd you show up?" He asked.

          "About a minute and a half ago," Yuffie spat. She was tired and irritable from being hunched over Aerith for hours.

          "How is she?" He asked, sounding hopeful.

          "She'll live. She's still asleep, but I don't know for how much longer. Nothing seems to be damaged, but you were right—she was exhausted and she probably fainted from shock." She glanced back into the room—Aerith was stirring. Yuffie dashed back in, Cloud on her tail, as Aerith pulled herself up.

          She looked around the room, as if wondering how she got there, and then memory returned in a rush. The FearFeeders had attacked her, and the last thing she remembered was Cloud before she blacked out—

          Cloud! Where was he? She sat up completely now, stiff all over. Her chest felt constricted and her legs hurt from running. She would have groaned from the effort, but she made no noise at all. Her throat worked, and air came out, but there was no sound.

          Terrified, her hands flew to her throat. She couldn't think of what to do! What had happened to her?

          Cloud noticed she was acting strange and hadn't said a word. "Aerith?" His voice was quiet.

          She turned to him, and tried to say his name, but again was thrust further into the reality that she couldn't speak. She breathed heavy and clutched at her throat too tightly. She coughed.

          "Say something," Cloud told her desperately. He looked at Yuffie, who seemed just as stunned. Her mouth gaped open.

          Tears welled in Aerith's eyes as she groped for a pen and something to write on. The pen she found, but she couldn't find any paper. Having no other option, she scribbled the message on her hand.

          _I can't._

          She stretched her hand out to him and he read it. It took him minutes to absorb the message, and he looked from the words, to Aerith, then to Yuffie, and back to the message on Aerith's hand again.

          "How can—?" He didn't finish his sentence. He didn't know what to say, or how to say it.

          Aerith buried her face in her hands and cried silently when she would have gladly made loud sobs. They could hear her breathing heavily.

          Yuffie turned to go, and Cloud got up to follow, but she grabbed his shirtsleeve and shook her head, and quickly scribbled another message on her hand.

          _Stay._

          Cloud nodded. Yuffie stood in the doorway for a second.

          "I'll go find you some paper. You won't get far with writing on your hand like that," she said.

          Despite the issue at hand, Aerith nodded and smiled a tiny bit. She tried to say "thank you," but again was not able to make any sound. Once Yuffie was gone, she plowed into Cloud's chest and cried silently.

          Aerith was totally mute.

          After Yuffie delivered the paper to Aerith, she stumbled into her own room and collapsed on the bed, exhausted. FearFeeders kept her on her toes all the time, and whether it was safe or not, her body was telling her to get some rest. She fell into a deep sleep in a matter of seconds.

          Leon peeked in to see if she was there, and saw her asleep and nearly melted into the mattress. She was having a strange dream, but she had regained some of her color. He was glad she was asleep—as far as he knew, she had not slept in two days. Scout pushed through the door and made his way over to Yuffie, climbing back and forth across her. He licked her ear.

          In her sleep, Yuffie turned over and swatted the dog away gently, murmuring, "Squall, if yeh wanna fool around, take yer t-shirt off first." Pause. "And stop drooling in my ears." She turned again. "Squall, I'm tired…" she whispered, and then sat up. She blinked and looked Scout right in the face. "Oh… it's you. Hello, Scout. Where's—" She looked up to see Leon standing there.

          "Do I still have to take off my t-shirt?" He asked with a grin.

          Yuffie rolled over, giggling a little. "No, Squall, I'm tired. Save it for when I'm not too exhausted to enjoy it."

          "Scoot over," he said, sitting at the edge of their bed. "I am _exhausted…"_ He ran a hand over his temples. "These things are driving me crazy." He put the Gunblade aside so he could lie down without setting it off. He had tried to sleep with the weapon before—it seemed like a good idea at the time, but he rolled over in his sleep and set the weapon off. Luckily, he was not in their room when it happened.

          "Squall—"

          "Leon."

          "Whatever." She sat up and looked him in the face. "I wish you wouldn't try an' fight these things… as far as any of us have tried, there's no way to hurt 'em. But _they_ can hurt _us. _Please—don't try to fight 'em. They—you could get hurt. Or killed!"

          "Yuffie, I'll be fine," he said calmly. "I don't fight them often, either. Only when I have to."

          "Well… could you keep it at that?" She begged. "Only fight 'em when it's _absolutely_ necessary?"

          Leon sighed. He had a mind to refuse, but when he saw the look in hey eyes—one of pure terror at the thought of his death—he couldn't say no. "All right."

          She relaxed visibly. "Promise?"

          "I promise." He kissed her forehead. "Now get some sleep."

~~~

Riku couldn't understand it. How and _when_ did he get back to Destiny Islands? He couldn't have just gotten there in his sleep! What had happened? What was more confusing was that everything looked exactly the same as it did almost three years ago when he had left.

          He walked along the beach alone, kicking up sand as the tide went out again. He used to be able to tell the time by when the tide went in and out, but over the years had forgotten. He sighed.

          Gulls voiced their calls overhead; bugs and crabs skittered across the wet sand to get out of his way. Thoughts zipped through his mind right now, and not the least of which was: where _was_ everyone? Tidus, Wakka, Selphie—Sora and Kairi? Where had they all gone? They were nowhere to be seen.

          And where was Zephyr? Had she come back with him? He would have remembered something like that! Right? Deep in thought, he crossed the bridge to Paupu Island. The tree growing crooked over the eastern side of the little chunk of land was the exact same size and shape as it had been all those years ago. Nothing had changed at _all_ in the time he had been gone. It was confusing.

          He passed a puddle on his way to the tree, intent on climbing to the top and looking down across the water as he used to. Absently, he looked down into it and passed it, only to do a double take and look back into it. His reflection was different than he thought it would be! He looked… younger.

          He was still fifteen.

          No! That couldn't be right! He was almost _eighteen!_ Unless—

          Had everything been a dream? An image, a hallucination? The Heartless, Kingdome Hearts, the Keyblade, those worlds, and the people he met—had he imagined those? He looked down at his hands, looking for scars he had attained from fighting so much with the Wingblade. The scars were not there. Kingdom Hearts had not happened! He had never left the Island!

          What of Zephyr? Had he imagined her, as well? Was she also a part of this inane fantasy that he'd dreamed up? And if so… how was he still in love with someone who didn't exist?

          There was no one around to ask. Nobody was _anywhere._ He was alone on Destiny Island.

~~~

Riku lurched awake, head spinning. He looked about the room frantically, letting his eyes adjust to darkness and trying to figure out where he was. Slowly, his vision focused.

          He was in Cid's shop, sitting on the couch on which he always slept because, even after all this time, Zephyr didn't let him sleep with her. He rubbed his eyes and looked up at the ladder and trapdoor that led up to the empty Item Synthesis Shop where Zephyr slept. He scrambled up the ladder and into the shop, relieved to see his girlfriend fast asleep where she always was, but she was obviously having a bad dream. He figured he should go and wake her up.

          He was sitting next to her and was about to wake her up when she lurched upright and snapped her teeth at an invisible enemy. Then she woke up. It took her a second to realize that he was sitting right there, and gave a start when she _did_ realize it. She didn't smile, but her eyes did.

          "There's no stopping you, is there?" She asked him, referring to the many times she had gone to sleep alone and woken up with him in her bed. She sighed. "All right, I dun feel like fighting you any more. Go get yer stuff."

          "What?"

          "You can stay up here with me. I don't mind so much anymore."

          "Ferget my stuff—it can wait 'til morning." He climbed in with her, glad to know that he had _finally_ gotten his way with her, and also glad to know that he had only been _dreaming_ that he had dreamed everything.

          "Had a nightmare, didn't you?" She asked in a whisper.

          Riku looked over at her as she got up and supported herself on her elbows. "What makes you say that?"

          "It's sixty degrees outside and yer here sweating like it's a hundred-and-sixty."

          How like Zephyr to be able to see right through someone and find what they _didn't_ want anyone to find. He sighed and nodded. She didn't ask any more questions; instead, she curled up against him and kissed his cheek.

          "Don't worry—I won't tell." Of all the terrible things she did to blackmail people, she wouldn't do any of them to Riku.

          It was impossible to tell the difference between morning, noon, and night in Traverse because there was never any sun, resulting in two things. One being that everyone had to rely on their internal clocks to tell them what time it was, and the second being that the lack of sun had given everybody there glow-in-the-dark skin. But telling the difference in time was what got to most people.

          "Yo, lovebirds!" Sora yelled from the door. Riku startled awake, jostling Zephyr and waking her up, too. "Rise and shine!" He was grinning stupidly—probably due to finding his worst enemy and his best friend sleeping together.

          "Knock it off and leave me alone," Zephyr groaned, turned on her side away from him. "I wanna sleep."

          "Nope—sleep-time is over!" He said with some mock-cheerfulness. "Can't you see the lovely sunshine pouring in through your window?" He gestured to the full moon casting a blue glow on the ground below.

          "Why are you so _cheerful?"_ Riku asked.

          "It's a special occasion!"

          "Who died?" Zephyr asked without turning around. Riku tried hard to keep from laughing.

          Sora ignored the girl's response and gave the _real_ reason. "It's been eighteen whole hours since we've been attacked by FearFeeders! The last time they attacked was last night around six!"

          Riku yelped. "It's _noon?"_

          "Yep."

          "Noon already, huh?" The girl turned over and looked up at both of them. Then she flopped back down again. "Lunch isn't until one. Wake me in an hour."

          "Arencha gonna try an' wake 'er up?" Sora asked his friend.

          "Are you kidding?" He snapped. "I value all of my appendages, thank you very much!"

          "Sora—how would you like me to remove your appendix?" Zephyr asked, all sweetness and sounding quite sinister. _"Through your nose?"_ Despite her threats, she sat up and slipped her boots on. Next came a belt full of daggers, and then a zip-up sweatshirt. She was attacking her long black hair with a brush when she stopped and glared at them. "Why are you _watching_ me?" She snapped. "You act like you've never seen anyone get dressed before! Go on—scat." For scare, she smacked the brush against her leg, making a loud sound. Both boys shot from the room.

          After that, Zephyr was unable to find Riku, so she hung around on rooftops, watching the people. There were fewer walking the streets now that the FearFeeders had shown up. She was absently watching people when she noticed one quite some distance away from her. She studied him for a long time—he was an older man, and his hair was thinning. She couldn't make out his face from the distance, but she could tell that he was wearing some very expensive clothes and a thick necklace of gold. Something about him rang a bell—a _warning_ bell.

          "Hey, Zephyr."

          She yelped and jumped. Yuffie stood behind her, also startled at Zephyr's sudden movement.

          "Can you _ever_ hear someone behind you and not jump?" The ninja snapped.

          "I don't think I can." She moved over on the ledge, making room for Yuffie to come and sit up next to her. She was silent for a long time after that, watching the man she had spotted earlier. Something about him was familiar—and frightening. It made her stomach churn and her heart speed up. Whoever he was, she did not like him. That much she knew. But was he even real? One way to find out. She turned to Yuffie. "Hey."

          "Yea?"

          "That man. Over there by the Item Shop—can you see him? Is he real?" She asked, pointing. Yuffie squinted, and her eyes homed in on the man Zephyr was referring to.

          "The one that's starting to lose his hair?"

          "Yea, that's the one. He's there?"

          "Obviously."

          Zephyr chewed on her lower lip. Who was he? The name was on the tip of her tongue and his identity in the back of her mind—just out of reach. She growled.

          "Why?"

          She didn't answer. In seconds she'd taken off again, fear taking over her senses. She felt like she was going to be sick, the way one feels after having seen something terrible. She didn't stop until she was in the Third District where she skidded to a halt. She was alone—precisely what she wanted to be at that moment.

          On the ground in front of her, she saw another enormous hoofprint. She sighed, remembering the sound of a horse walking. The sound echoed in her head.

          _Clop, clop, clip, clop._

          It was getting louder—she figured she must have been going mad.

          _Clop, clop, clip, clop._

          No, she wasn't going mad. The sound wasn't in her head. It was in her ears, and it _was_ getting louder! Where was it coming from? The sound was echoing, bouncing off of the walls so that it was impossible to tell what was an echo, and what was the actual sound. She whistled softly. The sound stopped, to be replaced by a strong _thwump_ sound. Like a horse pawing at soft ground. She whistled again.

          _Clip clop. Clip clop. Clip clop._

          It was a faster sound, and it had two sets of two beats instead of four single, slow ones. She whistled a third time, and the sound sped up.

          _Clip-clip clop. Clip-clip clop. Clip-clip clop._

          Three beats and loud. It was close now, and she looked for the source. It was coming from around a corner. Time seemed to freeze, moving slowly like honey. A black-and-white head with two cone-shaped ears and a pink muzzle appeared, followed by a white neck and a two-toned black-and-white mane, thick, slab-like forequarters and huge forelegs and feathered hooves. A full piebald draught horse came into view and sped at her, and she was too shocked to move.

          He stopped in front of her, reaching his great head out and sniffed her. Nostrils flared for a second before the whole great animal relaxed and nuzzled her. The smile on Zephyr's face threatened to snap her cheeks in two, and she didn't care. She threw her arms around the horse's neck and hugged him tightly.

          "I remember you," she whispered. "I remember…" She breathed in his fur—shaggy fur. He had not had a haircut in a _long_ time, and his hooves could probably use to be trimmed, as well. His name was as clear to her as if it had only been a day since she had last seen him. "Moonriver," she whispered. She dried her tears on her shirtsleeve and stood back. The horse snorted softly.

          Despite Moonriver's shoulder coming as high as her head, she swung up onto his back with the ease of practice. She gripped his mane in both hands and nudged him gently. He walked on, knowing the command well.

          It had been too long since she was last on a horse, and she needed practice. She was cantering in circles on the flat ground in the center of the District when she heard someone gasp. She sat deep and turned to see who had spotted her. Yuffie had followed to see what she was up to.

          "Zephyr—where did you find that?" She asked in awe. Without waiting for an answer or a warning, she dashed down the ramp and went to meet her friend, who still sat poised on the horse.

          "His name's Moonriver," she said. "And I just found him. He was—he's—" she swallowed. "He's from home. My home," she said softly. "My horse."

          "He's huge!" Yuffie hesitantly reached her hand out to pet his neck. Moonriver stood calm and still. He liked attention and new people. He turned his head to sniff her, and Yuffie looked more nervous than Zephyr could ever remember seeing her.

          "He won't hurt you. He's like a big baby," she said, and leaned forward to hug him. Her arms didn't come down to his breastbone.

          "How'd you get up there?" She asked.

          "I swung up. I used to do it all the time."

          "Didn't stand on anything?"

          "Nope."

          "Hold onto anything?"

          "Well…" she paused. "Just his hair. He doesn't mind."

          "Come on," Yuffie said.

          "Where're we goin'?" Zephyr asked. She nudged her mount into a working walk.

          "To scare Squall. I bet he's never seen something this big!"

          "Where is he?"

          "First District."

          She sighed with relief. The First District was usually relatively empty, so there was no much risk of many people seeing her with a big draught horse. When they got there, she was relieved to find that the place was almost empty and that the Mystery Man was also gone.

          The first reaction she got was from Sora.

          "What the hell is that?" He demanded.

          "Yeh act like you've never seen a horse before!" Zephyr said. Moonriver tossed his head as if agreeing.

          "Never one that big!"

          "You coward," Yuffie teased. It was hard to believe that a few minutes ago, she herself was nervous about Moonriver. Riku showed up next, mouth agape.

          "I guess you found it, huh?" Was all he said.

          Zephyr nodded. Everyone had to look _up_ at her, and she _wasn't_ clinging to a building. A nice change.

          She didn't leave the horse for the rest of the day. Riku had seen her blasting at a gallop across the ground. He was paying close attention to how she was moving on the horse. Sora asked him what he was watching, but when his friend didn't answer, he looked for himself, and he raised his eyebrows. Riku sighed and put his head in his hands.

          "That shouldn't be turning me on, but it is."

          [A/N: Just watch someone on horseback—you'll know what I mean.]

"I've got it!" Kairi yelled. Sora snapped awake with a yelp and looked back and forth. He looked up and saw Kairi standing over him.

          "Got what?" He asked groggily.

          "A way to get back!"

          "Back where?" What time was it? He couldn't see a clock.

          "Home, silly."

          "Home?" He asked. Kairi was not making any sense.

          She heaved a sigh. "Destiny Islands, Sora! I found a way to get back!" Kairi had been homesick for the island recently, and had been severely depressed and was rummaging in Cid's shop for Gummi blueprints to try and get back, despite the fact that the pilot had told her that, since the worlds were sealed, there would be no way to get back. But the arrival of the FearFeeders, and now Zephyr's horse, had raised question as to whether or not anyone could actually get through to other worlds again. She'd found a blueprint for a fairly efficient ship and had asked Zephyr if there were enough parts around to build it. Since no one had Gummis anymore (they had all sold their ships to Cid for Munny) there were plenty of parts in stock. She explained this quickly to Sora.

          "So yer saying that we can get back to the island?" He asked, perking slightly. "What about… getting back? Can we go back and forth?"

          Kairi's face darkened slightly. "No. Once we go, we can't come back."

          Sora bit his lower lip. _Choose_ between his childhood home, and the people he had grown to love? Choose between Wakka, Tidus, and Selphie and Leon, Yuffie, Cloud, Aerith, and Cid?

          On the one hand, he could to back to warm, sunny Destiny Islands and live out the rest of his days there. He could be with childhood friends again. He and Kairi could see their old Secret Place, their old home. On the other hand—all three of them, he, Riku, and Kairi, had grown and matured so much over the years that they would not fit in with the carefree people on Destiny Islands. They'd grown used to the cooler, darker Traverse Town. And what was more—if not _worse—_was that Riku had grown very attached to Zephyr. The chance of him leaving the girl was very slim, and the thought of Zephyr coming to Destiny Islands was not a pleasant one.

          But Kairi had never liked Traverse Town. It was too dark, too gloomy, and the people were too sullen. She much better liked Destiny Islands. Before the events of Kingdom Hearts she had wanted so much to see other worlds, but now that she was _stuck_ in one, she wanted out, and wanted to go back to her old island home.

          Sora said nothing. He had never thought of this before now. A long time ago, before he had established a permanent residence in Traverse, he pretty much knew what he would do in this situation. He knew that he would take Kairi and Riku and take the first available Gummi ship home. Now… now it was not so simple. What would he do?

          "Sora?" Kairi asked, waving her hand in front of his face.

          "Huh?"

          "Sora, what's wrong?"

          Sora closed his eyes. He didn't want to lie to her, but until he got his mine sorted out, he would have to. "Nothing. Just tired. I'm going back to sleep."

          "All right," Kairi chirped. "I'll go see about having this thing built."

          Aerith was sitting in the café, all alone. She had taken to spending more and more time by herself since she lost her power of speech. She sat in a booth, eyes tearing, and staring blankly ahead. One hand rested helplessly against her throat as she tried in vain to make any sound at all. Nothing. Not even a growl or an incoherent groan. The door opened and someone walked in but she didn't care to turn and see who it was.

          Since the attack that had left her mute, Cloud had been a nervous wreck and kept a close eye on her to make sure nothing happened to her, now that she couldn't scream for help if something happened. Most of her saw the logic in it, but the treasonous part of her mind wanted him to get off of her back. She didn't want to be treated like a helpless baby. Luckily, he knew she was in the café, and had let her be for a while after following her like a bloodhound all day. She doodled a flower on the pad of paper she carried with her now—her only means of communication. Being alone was boring, but preferable at this time.

          "Hey, Aerith," Yuffie said. She had been the one who had walked in. The Flower Girl nodded a greeting. "Mind if I siddown with you?"

          Aerith shook her head and moved over so she could sit, and then wrote a quick message on her paper.

          _Where's Leon?_

          Yuffie read it quickly and then shrugged. "He wasn't in our room when I woke up, and I haven't seen him or Scout since then. I figure he's okay, though. I made 'im promise he wouldn't try an' fight the FearFeeders unless he had to."

          Aerith took her paper back and wrote another message.

          _Cloud's been on my back all day. It's nice that he cares about me, but I do need my privacy every once in a while._

          "I think it's sweet that he cares about you like that, though." Yuffie sighed and ran her hands through her hair.

          Neither said (or wrote) anything for a while, until Aerith handed her another piece of paper.

          _He's bordering between protective, and possessive! I know he's scared—I am too—but I wish he'd understand that everything bad is not out to get me simply because I'm his Flower Girl._

          "Yea, but you see… he loves you, and because he loves you he's always preparing to defend you against the absolute worst. He'd defend you to the death, you know." She sighed, misty-eyed. "Squall would do the same for me—and I for him."

          Another message:

          _You sound like a poet._

          Yuffie snapped her eyebrows together.

          "Would you rather I left you alone?"

          Aerith didn't have anything to answer that with. She just looked at her friend stupidly, unable to apologize. Upset, Yuffie got up from the table and left the café, leaving Aerith to herself again. Alone, she buried her head in her arms and cried until she got a headache and felt sick. She would never be the same again.

          Zephyr was wrestling with something leather, trying to get it to hold a shape, when Riku spotted her sitting on the stairs outside of Cid's closed shop. Moonriver was nearby, contently munching on a small pile of hay that Zephyr had bargained out of Merlin. Where the wizard had _found_ the hay was anyone's guess. But then—he was a wizard. He could do anything.

          "Whatcha doin'?" Riku asked. Zephyr, for once, didn't leap two feet. Instead, she glanced up at him quickly and then went back to her work.

          "Trying to make a halter for Moonriver. I want to be able to tether him—can't always trust him to sit and stay when I tell him to." She wrestled with the leather some more, using her Technicolor language at it. Sometimes her mouth was so foul when she swore at something that instead of calling it "colorful" language, people just called it "Technicolor" language. It had become an inside joke.

          "How'd he get here, anyway?" He asked, eyeing the huge animal from his place by Zephyr's side.

          She shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine, I'm afraid," she said, finishing the last of her makeshift halter. It was made with two leather bands coiled into loops—one for a noseband and another for the cheek piece, and two more bands connecting the two loops. Metal rings connected all the pieces and a final band went beneath the whole thing as something to clasp a lead rope to. She would work on making a blanket saddle and a bridle with reins later on—for now just a halter would work fine. She slipped it onto Moonriver easily, despite the gelding's protests.

          Riku watched her deal with the horse. Something was bugging both Zephyr and Moonriver judging by the way they were acting. The girl was not so jittery, but she did seem to have a worried took in the very back of her eyes, as if she was hiding it.

          "Hey, Riku."

          "Hm?" He glanced at her holding the horse by the halter.

          "Moonriver's a strong horse—he kin carry two riders," she grinned a little. "Wanna ride?"

          Normally he might have been nervous, but seeing the ease with which Zephyr handled the titanic horse, he figured that there would be no harm in trying, particularly as Zephyr was right there, and she knew what she was doing.

          "Sure," he said. "Why not?" Unfortunately, he didn't know how to get up, and he was too embarrassed to ask for a crate to stand on. It wasn't long before the girl sighed and walked over to help him.

          "Grab hold of his mane," she told him. "And jump up and drape over his back." She watched with amusement as her love argued with the laws of gravity, and then gave him a good push, allowing him to get up and get centered. He looked nervous. "Higher up than yeh thought, huh?" She asked with a grin.

          "Yea—a _lot_ higher up than I thought!" He shifted stiffly. "And it's harder to stay up than I thought."

          "Don't be so tense," she said as she swiftly swung herself up and settled in front of him. "Horses can sense it and it makes them nervous."

          "I'm riding something only slightly smaller than a Behemoth, and she says _he's _nervous," Riku said to nobody in particular.

          "I'll keep him at a walk, then," Zephyr said.

          In a few moments, they encountered the same man that had worried Zephyr the day before. Again, she had the same fear, but she couldn't place why she would be afraid of this man, or even who he was. But Moonriver also seemed edgy. He paced, ears pinned, at the sight of him. The man did not notice the horse, however. Nor did he notice either of the riders. But she still felt like he was watching her.

          "What's wrong?"

          She'd forgotten Riku was there.

          "I'm—there's—" she frowned. "I know him—from somewhere. I don't know where. But I know I know him from somewhere—and it's not a very nice memory." She scowled, angry at her own inarticulacy, and rubbed the scar at the back of her head, right where her hairline started. It was raised a little—a scar she had attained when the Heartless destroyed her home. The impact of the injury had given her amnesia and she had forgotten everything about her home, except for a few details and the last few, horrifying hours before she blacked out.

          Riku knew a red warning flag when he saw one—and this was definitely a red warning flag. He wanted to get off the horse, but he had no idea how, and it was quite a drop from his seat to the stone ground below.

          "Swing yer right leg over 'im and slide off on yer stomach," Zephyr said. She knew what he was thinking. Riku started to bring his left leg over and hit her in the back with his knee by accident. "Your _other_ right leg," she told him.

          It was not until some time later that Zephyr realized who the man was and why she was so afraid of him—it was more of an _angry_ fear than anything else, but it was still a fear.

          His name, she realized, was Marius. Close up, he had jet-black hair, despite the grays and its thinning, gray eyes, and her nose. He was a wealthy man, judging by the state of this clothing, and he had an air of arrogance about him. Something in her head dug up the name "Goldeye"—it was his last name, and it was also hers. She felt suddenly like she was going to be sick.

          Marius Goldeye was her father.

Yuffie felt like strangling Leon. He had promised her that he would not try to battle FearFeeders and only use physical resistance if _absolutely necessary._ And she had found him fighting FearFeeders when he could just as easily have escaped and made it to a haven.

          "You _promised_ me you wouldn't _do_ that anymore!" She hissed at him, pacing back and forth in front of the chair he sat on, holding a damp cloth to his scar, which had reopened due to his fight with the FearFeeders.

          "Yuffie—I said I was sorry. I couldn't help it," he said, trying to watch her pace, but moving his eyes irritated the scar. "I guess I just… forgot."

          The girl ninja growled—a habit picked up from being around Zephyr too long—and glared at him murderously. "You _forgot?"_ She hissed venomously. She resisted all urges to slap him. "You could have been _killed!"_

          "I wasn't thinking of that, you know," he said coolly. "I was thinking of you. I was thinking—" he paused to take the cloth off of his head. "I was thinking of what might happen should one of them find you."

          Yuffie closed her eyes and counted to ten to quell another explosion. "All right, I understand that… but I _can_ deal for them if I have to. Mainly concerned with _running_ from them as fast as I can." She sighed. "Squall, you—"

          "Leon."

          She didn't bother to suppress this explosion. "All right, _look_ here, _Squall,"_ she spat. "Lay off the Goddamn _name games_ for two minutes so I can finish saying what I want to say!" While she had been yelling, she'd gotten up close to him and gotten face-to-face to where their noses were almost touching. "You can't play _hero_ all the time, _okay?_ Sometimes you've just gotta go with yer _first instinct,_ and _run away._ It's the smartest thing to do with these things! There's nothing else we can do!"

          "I'm not a coward! I'd rather fight than run!"

          "Squall—"

          _"Leon!"_

          Yuffie hissed and, without thinking, reached out and smacked him across the face with the back of her hand—not hard, but hard enough to give him one hell of a start. He glared daggers at her and hit her hard enough to knock her back. She yelped loudly, putting a hand to her injured cheek. Tears welled in her eyes, but anger kept them from falling.

          Leon didn't seem to notice what had happened. His eyes were hard as he stared at her. His free hand clenched into a fist, almost ready to strike again. "Go," he said, voice low. "Just go. Get out."

          "I—" she began, but her voice cracked and she couldn't finish her sentence.

          "I said get out, Yuffie!"

          Feeling a sudden wave of fear, the girl turned tail to run, but turned back and looked at him for a very long time. She felt the bottom of her stomach drop out like a trapdoor.

          _"Yuffie, I said get out!"_ He picked up a book and hurled it at her. His aim was terrible and he hit a flowerpot three feet away from her.

          "Squall Leonheart, I hate you!" She screamed. Hot tears fell down her cheeks and invisible hands constricted her throat. She wished that this was an image from a FearFeeder, but it was not. She felt sick. Without another word, she turned and ran as if she was on fire out the door. She didn't care where she went—just as long as she wasn't anywhere near Leon.

          With her signature agility, she sped across the town, leaping obstacles and dodging people, not caring that she was receiving stares. He'd told her to get out. He'd hit her. He looked as if he wanted to kill her. She had hit him, and she said that she hated him. With all of those factors in mind, she doubted that she would ever be able to face him again.

          Her cheek stung where he'd hit it—she betted that she had a hand-shaped bruise there. Everything became a blur from tears, and she didn't seem to have control over her own body anymore. Her legs worked without her thinking about it; they knew their destination, but they weren't telling her. Her head ached. Her heart ached. And all because of a fight with Leon.

          Kairi had found her and escorted her back into the café, where she, Aerith, and Zephyr tried desperately to calm her down. (Aerith rarely left the haven, and Zephyr had decided that that was the safest place to be until she figured out what to do about Marius.)

          Yuffie was sobbing pitifully; she was covered in mud and soaking wet. Her eyes were red from crying, but she was dried up of tears. Her head still hurt and now she felt nauseous. It took a while before they finally managed to get out of her both _what_ had happened, and why she was covered in mud.

          "Another row with Leon?" Zephyr asked cautiously. Yuffie wailed noisily and buried her face in her hands. Aerith winced and scribbled a note.

          _Over what?_

          Zephyr read it aloud and the three waited for the ninja's response.

          Yuffie sniffled. "I—he went out to fight FearFeeders after I made him promise not to, and—" she sniffled again and wiped her nose before going on. "And then I yelled at him, and he yelled at me, and—and—and—" she dissolved in tears again. They decided that they had enough information based on her tellings, and based on the bruise that was beginning to surface on her left cheek.

          It took ten minutes to calm her down the rest of the way before they found out why she was all wet. She'd tried to drown herself. Kairi looked astonished and asked her why.

          "I don't want to live anymore, that's why!" The girl ninja sobbed.

          "Oh, nonsense," Zephyr said. "You're just telling yourself that. You don't want to kill yourself."

          "Yes I do!"

          Zephyr sighed. "Look, you are _not_ serious about killing yerself. The Waterway is ten or more feet deep in some places and conveniently located right behind the hotel. If you were actually serious about drowning yourself, you'd've tried _there,_ not thrown yerself facedown into the first mud puddle you saw!"

          "All right, I'll go try there, then," Yuffie sniffled as she tried to stand up. She was met with two verbal protests and three sets of hands holding her in her seat.

          "Someone take those stars away from 'er!" Kairi said. "We can't trust her with anything sharp!"

          Aerith immediately took every last one of Yuffie's ninja shurikens.

          "What am I gonna do fer defense?" She gasped, trying to grab back her ammunition.

          "Don't worry—we can give ya the safe shurikens. The ones with plastic blades," Zephyr said.

          Yuffie tried to get up again. Aerith pushed her down and moved her mouth as if she was trying to yell something. Exasperated, she scribbled a barely legible message on a piece of paper.

          _WILL YOU STAY PUT???????????_

          "Yeh think, maybe, we should stay with her tonight?" Kairi asked. "Y'know—just to make sure she's okay?"

          "Whatcha mean 'okay'? Of course she's not okay! Look at her!" Zephyr snapped. "Our optimistic ninja has just gone suicidal! I think we should take shifts watching her."

          Aerith wrote a message. The look on her face as she wrote said that she was thinking sarcasm.

          _What is she—a two-year-old? We can't take shifts watching her! And besides that, Cloud's been on me like white on rice for the last week since—well, you know. He'd never let me stay here for the night! Let alone stay here with a mentally broken-down Yuffie. There's no telling what she could do!_

          "True," Kairi said after she read it.

          They ended up _all_ staying with Yuffie that night. She needed to have an eye kept on her, and three sets of wary eyes stopped her from doing anything rash that night.

          Zephyr couldn't sleep, however. She kept thinking the same thoughts over and over again—thoughts that made her feel sick to her stomach and shaky all over.

          Marius was her father. Her parents had left she and Archer, her brother, years and years ago—twelve years ago, when she was not quite six. They had left the farm saying that they would come back—and they never did. She never saw either of them again

          Until now.

          But how was Marius there? And—was her mother there, too? She couldn't bear to think of the possibility of having to face both of them. Wherever she went, she felt like he was watching her. Haunting her. The memories of him were piecing themselves into the jumbled mess of her mind. She never liked him—she knew that much. He'd wanted another boy, but instead had gotten a girl.

          The girl rolled over and stared at the ceiling. Sleep was out of the question. Aerith and Kairi could take care of Yuffie well enough—she got up and crept out of the café. Moonriver stood fast asleep nearby, breathing evenly.

          "I thought I'd bump into you," said a rough male voice. She froze. The voice connected with the name. She turned slowly to see Marius standing behind her. He went on speaking. "I saw you with that behemoth horse. You always had a way with animals—a gentle touch, I suppose. Trait of a weak little girl."

          He was barely visible in the shadows, but she knew where he was nonetheless.

          "What do you want, sir?" She asked. She showed no fear in her voice or face and spoke as politely as she could.

          "You don't remember me?" He raised dark eyebrows.

          "I remember you. I wish I didn't, though. You caused me a lot of pain." She paused. By then, she _had_ to know. "How did you get here? I thought that the Worlds were locked."

          Marius smirked. "I'll tell you if I choose to do so."

          Zephyr sighed in relief—that sort of answer meant that he didn't know himself.

          "I thought you had died when the monsters took over the world. Then I saw you here—a weak, scrawny little girl, survived monsters when a son hadn't, and now you even found yourself a lover." He sounded venomous. "I don't know what he sees in you. The boy is stupid not to see what I do."

          That stung. Zephyr bit her lip until it bled and tuned away from him. She handled this situation in the most adult manner that she could. "As far as I or you are concerned, I am my own responsibility, and you no longer have control over me. I would prefer if you were to leave me alone."

          Marius stood and watched her through narrowed eyes. "We shall see, Zephyr." Hearing him say her name made her stomach twist. He left as abruptly as he had appeared.

          Zephyr shivered. Something was coming for her—she felt it—and she was almost positive that it was a FearFeeder. She looked at Moonriver—he'd already woken up and was pacing back and forth at the length of his halter rope. Nostrils flared, and eyes showed whites. She had to get him to where he would be safe. She slowly led the frightened horse into the alley next to the café—no FearFeeders would get him there.

          However, just as she was going to go back inside, she came right up to a blue-white FearFeeder. Panic rose in her like the flames of a bonfire. Without thinking, she scrambled back to Moonriver, un-tethered him, and leaped on his back. Draught horses were not built for speed, but Moonriver did nicely in outrunning the FearFeeder. It floated behind them, and she could hear Riku's voice yelling for help as some unknown monster attacked him. She did her best to ignore it—Riku was in Cid's shop with all of the doors and windows locked. He was not in any danger. He _couldn't have been in any danger._

          Moonriver was a big horse, clumsy and bulky. The FearFeeder caught up with them and cut off her retreat; the horse skidded to a halt and Zephyr slid from his back and landed on the flagstones. He saw her as a member of his own herd, and stood in front of her, protecting her despite his own fear. He put his head down and snorted, teeth bared. He stomped one enormous hoof on the ground and whinnied so loudly that he roused echoes. The FearFeeder itself began to flicker, like a light or a candle about to extinguish. Moonriver reared and lashed out with his hooves; it was a given that interfering with those hooves would be courting a smashed skull or broken ribs.

          Zephyr merely watched as the FearFeeder flickered rapidly, growing dimmer, dimmer, dimmer…

          And then it was gone.

          Breathing shakily, she stood and leaned on her piebald horse. He nuzzled her shoulder, making sure that she was in one piece. As far as he was concerned, he was still a stallion, and she was his mare. He'd protect her, and that was just what he'd done.

          Someone was running up to them—she knew those clumsy steps. It was Sora.

          "Zephyr, where'd you come from?" He panted, also leaning on Moonriver when he'd gotten close. He had obviously been running for a long time before he found her. "And—what're you doing out here this late, anyway? This place is _crawling_ with FearFeeders!"

          "I'd ask the same of you," she said coolly, mounting onto Moonriver's back and settling behind his withers.

          "I was looking for Kairi. Have you seen her?"

          "She's been in the café with us," she replied.

          "Who?"

          "Me, Aerith, and Yuffie," she said. Sora relaxed. He must've thought that a FearFeeder had gotten his love.

          "What happened to the FearFeeder that was on you?" He asked, straining to look up at her.

          "I dunno. It was there, and then it wasn't…" she shook her head, and then thought of something. She slid from her seat and landed next to him. "Sora, I know we don't always see eye-to-eye—"

          "We _never see eye-to-eye!"_

          "Look—we never agree on anything. But… I think we got off on the wrong foot. And with everything that's going on, we can't afford to be fighting amongst _ourselves."_ She put out a hand. "Could we start over?"

          Sora looked from the hand to her gray eyes and back. Was this a trick? No—she sounded serious, and this was nothing to be tricky about. Even Zephyr would not do something like that. Still, he made no move.

          "All right, how about this, then: I'll be nicer to you if you be nicer to me. Have we a bargain?" There was no tone of daring in her voice, no sign that it might be a trick. Hesitantly, he took her hand and grasped it firmly.

          "We have a bargain," he said.

"Kid, if you don't stop pacin' like that, yer gonna wear down the floor!" Cid said around his toothpick as he watched Leon pace back and forth in front of the fire. The swordsman had been a nervous wreck and a human wrecking ball since his fight with Yuffie two days before. He'd not seen his ninja since, and he made it clear that he was having some difficulty dealing with it. He'd bullied the key to Cid's liquor cabinet out of Zephyr, gotten dead drunk, and passed out in the Waterway. Three times. The cabinet was now under three different locks, each key held by a different person. He wasn't drunk anymore, but he still didn't act sober.

          Since the fight, he'd slept with Scout on a park bench in the Second District. He hadn't had a decent night's sleep since, however. He looked like he had been run over by a train, and then the train backed up and ran over him a second time. There was just no denying it: without Yuffie, Leon was a _mess._

          "There's no use trying to talk to him—it's like trying to talk to a brick wall," Sora said. He was perched on the counter with his feet on a chair so that his knees and hips were level.

          "Nah," Riku said. "I think a brick wall is a little more responsive." He clapped his hands _loudly in front of Leon's face, but he didn't even blink. "You see?"_

          "What're we gonna do about him? We can't just leave 'im, he'll do something stupid!" Sora looked nervous all of a sudden.

          "I dunno… keep 'im on a leash, maybe?" Riku suggested, looking at Scout snoozing peacefully on the rug in front of the fire. The dog looked up, looking worriedly at his master, and looked at all of them in turn. At times, the dog seemed nearly human. He whined and panted slightly. Leon snapped out of his trance.

          "The number you've dialed is no longer in service. If you believe that this number _should still be in service, either hang up and try again, or, if you continue to get this message, press 'zero' to speak to the operator." Leon stared blankly into space as he delivered his telephone-operator-speech. Riku tried hard not to laugh; Sora buried his face in his hands as his shoulders shook with silent laughter; Cid looked stoic, as usual, but soon he lost control and burst into laughter._

          "If he was in the army, he'd be goin' fer a Section Eight discharge," the pilot said.

          "A Section Eight?" Sora asked.

          "Means yeh get out of the army because yer crazy. Psycho."

          "How'd you know that?"

          "Cloud told me."

          "Hey, speaking of Cloud," Sora looked around. "Anyone see where he is?"

          "No, but I can tell yeh that where yeh see Aerith, Cloud's not far behind," Riku said.

          "Man's been watchin' her like a _hawk," Cid chewed his toothpick. "Poor thing."_

          "Who—Aerith or Cloud?" Sora asked.

          "Both of 'em," Riku answered before Cid said anything. Leon had gone back into a stupor, eyes glazed. Scout whined at his feet but the man didn't do anything.

          Sora stared off out the window, into the sky filled with stars. Before Kingdom Hearts was sealed and the worlds restored, the sky had been black but for a few remaining worlds, and the moon. Now stars blazed everywhere, creating dots of bright light in the otherwise pitch-black sky.

          He'd not stopped thinking about going back to Destiny Islands since Kairi had mentioned it over a week ago, but he hadn't told Riku yet. He didn't think that his friend would want to leave Zephyr behind, and Sora himself didn't know if he could leave Traverse Town, and the people that he had grown to love. It was taking over his thoughts. He knew he had to decide between going back to his old home and making Kairi happy, or wanted to stay here, and make the girl miserable. It was a place he didn't want to be in.

          "Yo! Earth to Sora!" Riku snapped his fingers in front of his face. Sora gave a start.

          "Hm? What?" He asked.

          "Whatcha thinkin' about? You were a million miles away from reality."

          Sora debated telling his friend what he was thinking, and that Kairi had found a Gummi ship model that could get them back to Destiny Islands—but that could _not get them from Destiny Islands to Traverse Town. He figured that his friend would find out anyway—he may as well just tell him now._

          "Come with me fer a minute," he said, grabbing Riku's arm. "I gotta tell you something."

          Riku followed him, confused. Sora led them outside and into an empty, dusty shack. The door closed, arousing dust; he sneezed a few times as Sora found the light.

          "Is there a particular reason you've brought me to a shack?"

          "Kairi's found a way to get to Destiny Islands," Sora told him bluntly.

          Riku froze. He knew that Kairi was unhappy being in Traverse Town, despite the fact that she still had Sora and himself as friends, as well as finding companionship in Aerith, Yuffie, and even Zephyr at times. He hadn't really thought much about his old island home since living in Traverse Town because he had wanted to get away from it. But he didn't want to lose Sora and Kairi if they went back—nor did he want to leave Zephyr if he decided to go with them.

          As with Sora, the problem haunted Riku out of sleep. He couldn't think about much else. What if Zephyr came back with them? That was what he was most worried about—leaving her. He didn't want to have to leave her behind, but would she come with him if he asked? He walked nervously through the streets as he had been doing for a while. There was only one way to know for sure.

          He found her laying on her back on an awning over a shop window. She looked just as nervous as he felt. What might be her problem? He shook that from his head. He knew she'd tell him if she wanted him to know.

          "Zephyr," he called softly. She looked down at him, hair falling over her face like a curtain. "Zephyr, I've gotta ask ya something."

          Something about the tone in his voice made her slide down from her perch. He looked more worried now than she had ever remembered seeing him, even with FearFeeders.

          "What is it?" She tilted her head to one side, like a dog.

          In a jumble of words, Riku managed to explain to her about Kairi's Gummi ship and getting back to Destiny Islands. He took a nervous breath and made his finishing statement. "Come with me."

          This took her by surprise. He was willing to go back to the place that he had wanted to _leave? It did make sense—it was his childhood home, and Sora and Kairi were his friends long before he'd met her. He wanted her to come with him, though. He wanted her to leave Traverse Town and go with him to Destiny Islands. How was she going to put this delicately? She swallowed the square knot that was forming in her windpipe._

          "I—I can't go with you," she whispered.

          "What? Why not?" Riku felt his stomach drop to the bottoms of his shoes.

          "I can't change my life again. Losing my home to the Heartless destroyed me and it took a long time before I was comfortable here. There are still things about my old home that I don't remember, and I can't leave here." She took a deep breath. "This is all I have—Traverse is my home, now. I can't leave." She looked down, afraid to meet his eyes. She knew she'd cry if she did. "I'm sorry," she whispered, voice barely audible.

          Zephyr would not go with him. It hit Riku like a baseball to the head. Whichever option he chose, he would lose something—if he went with Sora and Kairi back to Destiny Islands, he would lose his love; if he stayed in Traverse, he would lose his oldest friends. He didn't want to make the choice. The only way out of having to make the choice was to convince Kairi not to go. Perhaps he would try that. Cautiously, he reached out a hand for Zephyr's shoulder. She hissed at him and snapped her teeth twice, the second time actually catching him and causing a little damage. As she was prone to doing when she was upset, she left by rooftop, as deft as a squirrel.

          The same thoughts went through Zephyr's head: she was going to lose Riku. He would choose his friends over her, she just knew it. He'd leave her behind in Traverse Town. It sparked anger in her at Kairi for wanting to leave. It was illogical to be angry at her—it was clear that Kairi was not completely happy in Traverse Town, but she had established friendships, and she was growing used to it. How could she want to leave? Hadn't she thought of Sora and Riku leaving their friends at _all?_

          The Waterway was the only place she could go to be alone. It was a dangerous place to be, because the FearFeeders did not stay away from it. She slipped on wet stones and skidded to a halt. She needed to get her mind off of this.

          "Crying like a baby girl?"

          Marius. She growled softly. She didn't want to face someone she hated right now.

          "Why do you keep showing up?" She spat. She didn't feel like being polite. "I've got enough on my mind without you telling me all over again what a terrible, weak, pathetic little female I am. Please go away."

          "This is a public place, you know," he said with a smirk. "You can't keep me away from it.

          Zephyr's hands crawled to the hilt of her longest dagger, but she willed herself to stay put. "Then leave me alone. Stay in here if you so desire, but don't bother me. I have enough to think about right now." She knew too well that her voice was cracking as she spoke.

          "About what? About wanting to be protected from FearFeeders? About your Prince Charming?" (This remark caused her to bite back a sob.)

          "It's none of your affair."

          "Ah, but for the next three weeks it _is my affair, I'm afraid," he drawled. "You see—I am still your legal father, and you are not yet eighteen. You are still mine."_

          Zephyr stood and turned, fuming and livid with rage. "What am I?" She hissed. "I am _not property! And even if I __was, I would not be yours! You gave me up when you abandoned me __twelve years ago." She was too angry to cry now. "I grew up before I should have had to. And now I'm asking you to see that. Stay away from me."_

          Before she knew what had happened, she was on the ground with a sting in her left temple and an ache in her spine. She looked up to see Marius's retreating back. He'd hit her and she'd fallen over. From where she sat, she could hear him say, "Stupid, weak little girl."

          She couldn't keep herself controlled. She burst into tears as soon as she knew he was gone. Someone was coming. She looked up to see Yuffie closing in on her. She buried her head in shame of crying. No one but for Riku had ever seen her in tears before.

          "Care to tell me who he was?" She asked calmly. She seemed to be much better then the last time she had seen her. She'd taken a shower, combed her hair, and changed clothes. She didn't look like something Scout dragged in anymore.

          "Who?" Zephyr asked, trying to sound indifferent. If she had to give an explanation for her crying, she would just tell her of the predicament with Riku and his leaving Traverse Town.

          "Don't lie," she said cockily. "I was behind the rocks over there—I saw the whole thing. Now who is he?"

          Zephyr sighed heavily. There was no escaping this. She patted the ground next to her, beckoning her friend to sit down. She did so.

          "His name is Marius. Marius Goldeye," she said. "I haven't seen him in twelve years, and I thought—I _hoped—he was dead."_

          "Okay—so who is he and why is he beating up on you?"

          "Do you know my last name?"

          "What _are you getting at?"_

          "My last name is Goldeye."

          Yuffie widened her eyes. She pictured the man's face in her head. Stormcloud-gray eyes and a small, rounded nose. "Is he… your dad?" She looked between shocked and sick. "And he _hit you?"_

          "He doesn't like me. He wanted a boy."

          "I thought you had a brother," Yuffie ventured cautiously.

          "He didn't like him, either. Because Archer wouldn't hunt like Marius thought a 'real boy' should. He ditched us twelve years ago. I wasn't even six yet…" She cried again. Her head throbbed from the hit and from crying and her back hurt from falling over.

          "Come with me," the ninja said, standing and offering a hand. She seemed to be far more collected now. She had to pay Zephyr back for the times that _she had nearly broken down and her friend had nursed her back to sanity._

          She dragged Zephyr back into the café and gave her something to drink and some ice for her head. While there, she also spilled out the story of Riku leaving Traverse.

          "He's _leaving?" Yuffie asked. "Just like that?"_

          Zephyr nodded. Of all the parts of her that had gotten injured in the past hour, her heart was what hurt the most. "Kairi's been asking me about ship parts for weeks. She—she's planning on taking the three of them back, and there's no way for them to come back here after they're gone."

          "And you really can't go with him, can you?" She asked. She didn't mind listening to Zephyr—it got her mind off of Leon. Despite what she had said about him, she missed him sorely, but was afraid to tell him or to try and apologize. He had been _so angry when she'd left a few days ago and she didn't want to risk it._

          "No," Zephyr sniffled. "I can't go with him. I wish he could stay here, but if he wants to leave—I won't stop him. I love him, but I won't stop him from leaving."

          "You love him enough to let him go free," Yuffie leaned back in her seat. "That's usually something that only happens in movies and trashy romance novels." That got a laugh from Zephyr.

          A paper airplane drifted lazily over to them. Yuffie opened it up, and there was a message written in Aerith's handwriting.

          _I heard you talking. Kairi's also been talking about going back to her "home." Think she realizes that her home is here?_

          Zephyr also read it, and then yelled out, "Hey, Aerith! Where areya?"

          A pink bow, a long braid, and pair of green eyes came into view from a booth across the room. The Flower Girl walked over and gestured toward a seat.

          "Go ahead," Zephyr told her. Aerith sat down. She'd gotten steadily used to not being able to talk. She never opened her mouth anymore—except to eat. There were some serious doubts in the rest of them that she would kiss Cloud, but no one asked. They didn't want to provoke her into a mad rage.

          "So what's Kairi said?" Yuffie asked.

          Aerith took a moment answering this next question. Her message was a longer one.

          _She's said that she wants to go back to Destiny Islands and that she can't wait to go "home." It seems silly—her home is HERE, not Destiny Islands. Doesn't she realize that? I asked her if Sora was coming with her, and she said that he was, and Riku too, although I myself have noticed that both of them seem very anxious about something, and I think that they are debating whether or not they actually want to go with her. I know that Riku does not want to go, because it would mean leaving Zephyr, and Sora would have to leave Leon, Cloud, and the rest of us, as well. He's grown quite fond of everybody, and so has Kairi, but I think that she's thinking too much about Destiny Islands to think logically. Like a bird missing the nest. She needs a little time to think about her actions before she gets that ship out of those World Doors. Once she goes, she can't come back._

          "Damn, yer good," Zephyr said. Aerith smiled proudly. She could read people like a newspaper, only, as she had put it before, reading people was far more entertaining than reading a newspaper.

          "But what're we gonna do about Marius?" Yuffie asked.

          "Have to deal with 'im I suppose. Wait 'til he snuffs it." Zephyr clicked her teeth nervously. "I've got bigger problems right now. I'm more worried about the FearFeeders and about Riku than I am about that sonuvabitch."

          Aerith wrote her another message.

          _Liar. You ARE concerned about him. Just as much as everything else that's been going on. But I think you ARE right—he'll have to wait. I heard her talk to Cid a while ago, and the Gummi is ready to fly. She'll just need a few days to pack up before they can leave._

          Zephyr yelped so loudly and so high-pitched that a glass on the bar shattered. "A few _days?" She asked, starting to hyperventilate. "I can't—no! That's not right! They can't leave!" She dissolved in anguished tears again._

          "Even Sora?" Yuffie asked.

          "Yea, I guess so," she wiped her nose on her sleeve. Aerith rolled her eyes and got her a paper napkin. She blew her nose and went on. "We patched things up. Seems silly for us to be fighting when we have FearFeeders to be on the lookout for. And if he's gone, who else am I gonna insult? Leon can get boring to insult after a while." She immediately covered her mouth, but Yuffie's eyes merely darkened. She didn't cry as she had been doing whenever someone mentioned her lover's name.

          Another piece of paper was shoved in front of the ninja.

          _You have to patch things up with him some time, you know. You can't stay mad at him forever. You miss him and you know it—and so do I. It's easy to tell._

          "I can't stay mad at him forever, you're right," Yuffie said. "But I can stay mad for an extremely long time."

          "Yuffie! Yeh can't _kill him, you know!" Zephyr said, throwing her hands up in the air._

          "I know," she whispered. "But I _want to."_

          Aerith gave her another message.

          _For goodness sake, you have to get over it! Remember what you told me? That Cloud is obnoxiously overprotective because he loves me, and because he just wants me to be safe. Leon fought off FearFeeders because he knows that, if he defeats one, that's one less that can go after you. He loves you, Yuffie._

          This time, Yuffie _did cry. Aerith was right—she had to get over her fight with Leon and she knew it. She closed her eyes and remembered._

~~~

"He's _not_ Cloud, and he's _not Sora, just as __you aren't Aerith or Kairi. He's Leon. And you're Yuffie. Sora and Kairi have a nauseatingly sweet relationship and Aerith and Cloud are perfectly harmonic. You and Leon have a few bumps and potholes in your road—it doesn't mean anything bad, it's just… you."_

~~~

It was what Zephyr had said to her when she had been angry at him before. Just because he was different from Cloud and Sora didn't mean anything. She and Leon had more fights with one another than everyone else did _combined. It was just their way of doing things._

          She loved Leon. She didn't care much right now about anything else.

Zephyr tethered Moonriver outside the Waterway (she didn't want him slipping on the slick stones inside) and waded through the water up onto dry land. Riku would be leaving soon. She hadn't eaten or slept in four days and was showing signs of it—her eyes were hollow and glazed, her body shook, and she spoke as little as she could.

          She hadn't tried to stop him fro leaving or convince him to stay. He wanted to go with his friends, and she didn't want to try and make him do something he didn't want to do. Still—the thought of having to live the rest of her days without Riku was so depressing that people had been making sure that she was around nothing sharp, dangerous, or poisonous since he'd broken the news. She hadn't spoken to him since she found out he was leaving, either. She was too angry and depressed to face him.

          She had her face in her knees and she was sobbing quietly.

          "Prince Charming left you. It's about time, as well," the voice of Marius was so taunting and smug that, had she had anything in her stomach, she'd have thrown it up.

          "Look, why can't you just _leave me alone?" She asked. "I have nothing that you could possibly want. What is the sudden interest that you have in me now, anyway? Why can't you just __leave me alone?" She ducked as he tried to hit her again._

          "I want to know how you did it."

          "Did what?"

          "How you survived the Heartless attack, and my _son_ did not. He was ten years older than you! How could _you_ have survived, and _he have died?" He got closer to her. She swallowed hard. She was still wearing two knives—she'd use them if she had to._

          "I don't have to tell you anything."

          He grabbed her by her sweatshirt and shook her so much that she thought her head would come off. "Tell me what happened!"

          "No!" She twisted in his grip, but the more she move, the tighter he held on. This went on until her ribs threatened to bend inward. She gasped for breath.

          "I know your tricks. Squirming won't get you away from me. But talking will. Tell me how you survived."

          "All right," she rasped. "All right—you wanna know why I'm here, and Archer is dead?" She panted. "Loosen up a little and I could tell you easier." That worked. He loosened his grip but didn't let her go. "All right—the Heartless came in the middle of the night. Everyone who knows me knows that I'm not strong enough to get away from hoards of Heartless. Archer was. He made me leave before they could get me. I almost didn't get away, but he died right before I blacked out, and the last thing his spirit did was get me to a safe haven before any harm could come to me." She grunted, ribs popping from being squeezed. "I survived because Archer loved me and sacrificed himself so I could escape. Okay?" She felt tears coming. Of all people to survive—why _him?_ "Now lemmie go."

          He threw her to the ground. "That was a very bad excuse," he said. "Something happened. Something that you're not telling me. Now what is it?" He picked her up again and rattled her.

          "I don't know, all right? Leave me alone!" She scratched at his wrists, drawing blood, but he remained indifferent. She twisted enough to kick him, which caused him to drop her. She tumbled gracelessly to the ground and reached her hand to the hilt of one of her daggers. When he turned back around, she pressed the weapon to his throat. "Leave. Me. Alone," she said, slowly and venomously.

          "You—you wouldn't kill me," he said, trying to keep the edge of fear out of his voice. "Girls don't have the stomach to kill."

          "You sexist pig," she said bluntly. "I would kill you in a heartbeat. I want you to leave me alone. You no longer have rights to me—I am my own person. You abandoned me twelve years ago, and when you abandoned me, I became my own person." She pressed the weapon to him a little harder. "There's a Gummi ship leaving here in three hours. I suggest you be on it and ready to leave here. If I find you here, I'll kill you. I swear to God I will _kill you._ I don't care if it kills _me in the process, but I won't have to have died knowing that you're still around."_

          Marius swallowed. For the first time, he was afraid of her. He backed up until the blade was no longer against his throat. Then, like a scared rabbit, he turned tail and ran away.

          Zephyr shook violently. Marius was gone. Still alive and breathing, but in a few hours, he'd be gone from her home, no longer able to speak poison into her ears. She collapsed in the Waterway, partly of exhaustion, partly of fear at what had happened, and partly from relief.

          Aerith walked the streets alone for the first time in two weeks. Her hands were thrust in her pockets and she scuffed the ground with her boots as she walked. In the distance, she heard something—or she thought she did. It sounded like someone yelling repeatedly and running. She shook her head and kept walking. But the sound got louder, and the air got colder. Her skin prickled—something was not right.

          Cloud.

          She ran to the source of the sound, in the center of the Third District. A FearFeeder had found him and had the upper hand in the fight. Aerith could only watch helplessly as he tried to battle it. He was pale, sweaty, and beginning to wear out. One last attempt with Sonic Blade proved as futile as trying to smother a Midsummer's bonfire with a cotton sheet. He fell and skidded across the ground, out of energy.

          The FearFeeder had him now. The black shadowy thing moved closer to him, preparing to feed off of him, as all FearFeeders did. Unable to scream to divert it, Aerith put two fingers in her mouth and whistled _loudly._ A pair of red eyes turned to her.

          The Flower Girl charged down the ramp and stood between Cloud and the advancing FearFeeder. It had two targets, now. Perhaps it could get two birds with one stone…

          -Don't you dare touch him,- she thought, hoping that it would leave. –Leave him alone!– 

          It advanced slowly.

          -I'm not scared of you. You don't frighten me.– She glared daggers at it. She met its' blood-red eyes squarely. It was getting closer, now intent on _her_ and not Cloud. –You don't scare me. I'm not afraid of you.–

          Icy air swirled around her. She wasn't afraid. Cloud would be safe—if she was turned into a FearFeeder, she wouldn't go after him. –I'm not afraid. You don't scare me anymore.–

          Pictures went before her eyes—but they were not pictures of fears. They were images of things from her past. Mostly, they were images of Cloud and herself, together and happy at Hollow Bastion before the Heartless took their world from them. Images of them together in the Library at the remaining ruins of their old home—when they were reunited for the first time in far too long. Her chest constricted.

          -Nuh-uh,- she thought. –Not so easy. I'm not giving up.– She fought the FearFeeder, convincing herself that she wasn't scared of it. And then…

          It all stopped. She could breathe easily again because an invisible force no longer squeezed her chest. The icy mist was gone. The black shadow that was the FearFeeder was nowhere to be seen. The assault had ended.

          Aerith spun to look at Cloud—he was still unconscious on the ground. He was unnervingly pale, though. Dropping to her knees, she put her ear against his chest. His heart was still beating, and he was still breathing. She sighed with relief, shocked to hear a _sound. She touched her throat and tried to say something. It came out as a croak; she coughed. This time, she whispered it._

          "Cloud… please wake up."

          The doors to the First District creaked open and Yuffie came charging in, tripping over her own untied shoelaces as she sped towards her friend.

          "Aerith! Aerith, is he okay?" She skinned her knees when she dropped to them next to her. She saw him breathing and relaxed a little. "Did—were there FearFeeders?"

          Aerith nodded, and held up one finger.

          "Just one?" Yuffie asked. Aerith nodded. "It's not here anymore, though, is it? It's gone, isn't it?" She asked. Another nod. Yuffie looked excited, nervous, scared, and immensely happy. "Did you see what happened? After the Gummi left, there was this—_sound! It was like _nothing_ I've ever heard before! And then every FearFeeder in the First District was gone! Just like that! Just—__vanished!"_

          Aerith nodded. So more of the FearFeeders had left. She looked back down at Cloud. He was beginning to stir. She gently ran a hand through his spiky blonde hair. "Cloud? Oh, please be all right…" Her voice was a little louder than it had been. Yuffie's mouth hung open.

          "Aerith!" She squealed. "You spoke! You can talk!" She was smiling. "When did that happen?"

          Aerith shrugged and kept looking down at her love. She shook him gently by the shoulder. "Please get up. Please don't be hurt."

          Cloud groaned loudly and rolled over onto his side, facing away from them, and pushed himself up onto one arm. He pressed his free hand to his head and swore blackly. The Flower Girl smiled widely—if Cloud was well enough to curse, he was definitely going to be all right.

          "Cloud—" She began, but in an instant he had recognized her voice and spun around, looking at her with a shocked expression, much like the one Yuffie had had.

          "Aerith, you talked! How—?"

          "Does it matter?" She asked, putting her hand on his cheek. She helped him to stand as Yuffie stepped away to give the lovers some room. She watched them and couldn't help feeling a little envious.

          Once he was balanced, Cloud wrapped his arms around Aerith and covered her mouth with his. Neither cared that they were kissing outside of the privacy of their own hotel room.

          Cloud pulled away, seemingly intent on saying something, and Aerith tried to get him to stay with her, Siamese Sweethearts attached at the lips. She looked up at him, green eyes shining.

          "I—I know that this is not the best time _or_ place," he began, sounding extremely nervous. "But it's now or never." She had no idea what he was talking about until he took a step back and got down on one knee. He took a shaky breath. "Aerith, will you marry me?"

          She stood frozen for a few seconds, looking down at him. She pulled on his hands, getting him to stand up. He looked more worried and nervous than he had ever been before—even when facing Sephiroth.

          "Yes," she said, remarkably calm considering the swarm of butterflies that had formed in her stomach and chest. "Yes, I will marry you."

          Now it was _his turn to stand shock-still. It lasted for about five seconds before he lifted her up, spun her around, and kissed her. She held him tightly, worried that, if she let go, she might wake up and find herself in the café, just as mute as before. But it wasn't a dream. It was real._

          Yuffie smiled crookedly as she backed up slowly, heading for the doors to the Second District. She bumped into something relatively solid, and she had a feeling she knew what it was. A big dog circled her feet, and a black-gloved hand turned her around and she came face-to-face with Leon.

          She was speechless. She wanted to pounce on him and suck his tongue out—and she also wanted to knock some teeth out of his head. The hand on her shoulder slowly moved down her arm and came to rest on her hip.

          "For the record, it never happened," he whispered. She pretty much knew what he was talking about. "I've been a wreck without you, Yuffie. Come back with me?" His other hand traced down her cheek gently. She caught his hand and held it.

          "Depends on where yer going," she said coyly.

          "Back to the hotel," he answered. Then he kissed her forehead, her nose, and then down to her lips. The hand on her hip went up her bare side, making her squirm and press herself hard against him. He knew that that would be the reaction; she knew that that was what he was thinking. She pulled away just enough so that she could talk coherently.

          "Sneak," she whispered. Before he could say anything, she'd brought her mouth back to his. She held him tightly and didn't let go.

Zephyr sat in the Waterway, alone. She didn't care for company right now, and she doubted that she would care for any for quite some time. She was crying again, head buried against her knees. She had no more tears left, but she was still crying. She'd seen the Gummi ship that Kairi had built pull up to the doors in the First District that would allow people to leave this world. She'd seen the ship go through the huge doors and then the doors had closed with a great and mighty _thud._

          With that, she knew that Riku was gone, as were Sora and Kairi. She would never see them again—and what was worse was that, in her anger at the three of them, she had avoided Riku for the few days that he had been running about and getting his things, preparing to leave. She hadn't gotten a chance to say goodbye. She cried harder.

          "It's been two hours and I'm already a nervous wreck… not a good sign," she murmured to herself. "How am I gonna live the rest of my life without him?" She sighed shakily. "I didn't even get to say goodbye. And I'll never see him again." She sobbed even harder. She'd never like the coward's way out of things, but right now, suicide didn't seem like such a bad idea.

          "Some women can cry and look beautiful," a familiar voice said nearby. "But I hate to tellya this, Zephyr—yer not one of them."

          She turned around so quickly that she slid on the wet stones. She caught herself on her hands and one hip and looked up to see Riku standing by the torches that led to Merlin's study.

          "So please stop crying," he said.

          Was she hallucinating? Or was she dreaming? He seemed to know what she was thinking.

          "It's okay, Zephyr. I'm real." He held out one hand to her and waited.

          Collecting herself, Zephyr stood and stepped towards him. When she was within an arm's reach of him, she placed her hand on top of his, and he gripped it and towed her to him by it. He held her tightly, lips against her hair; she fastened her arms around his waist and hugged him.

          "How did you get back here?" She asked. "I saw the ship leave—you said you wouldn't be able to get back."

          "I know. I didn't lie. I wouldn't have been able to get back—if I went," he pulled away a little and stroked her hair. She looked up at him.

          "You mean you didn't go?"

          "I was on the ship for about ten seconds before I figured out that if I left you, I would never forgive myself—and I didn't think that you would forgive me either," he said. He leaned in and whispered, "I could never leave you, Zephyr… I love you.

          "But—you left Sora and Kairi," she said, wiping her eyes on her sleeve.

          "Who said I left them? They stayed, too." He grinned at the look on her face. "I convinced 'em to stay here. Even Kairi seemed okay with it. I guess she didn't really wanna leave so badly after all."

          Both were silent for a long time. Zephyr jumped on him and kissed him. Riku was taken off-guard and almost fell, but caught his balance and kissed her back. One arm was beneath her, supporting her to make sure that she didn't fall; the other arm was wrapped securely around her waist.

          When they finally parted, Riku asked slyly, "Does this mean I'm still staying upstairs with you?"

          She leaned forward and kissed his cheek, and then whispered in his ear softly, "Most definitely."

          He shifted her in his arms so that her legs draped over one of his arms. "Do I get to carry my Lady Faire off into the sunset?" He asked playfully. She slid herself from his grip and landed on the floor.

          "No—your Lady Faire has a horse waiting," she said, and took his hand, pulling him along. "Oh, and Riku—"

          "Hm?"

          "I love you, too."

          For a few brief moments, it seemed like the permanent darkness of Traverse Town had broken. The sky was bright and there was no need for any other lights—but it did not last long. The sky was soon dark once again, but blazed with thousands of stars, and the last sliver of the waning moon was settled in its' spot. The small town was bathed in the bluish glow of the thousands of stars that lit its' permanent night sky.

          Zephyr walked her horse and her lover into the alley that led into the First District.

          "C'mon, Moonriver," she said. "Lets go home."

                                                                                                             ~*~

                                                                                                               The End

                                                                                                             ~*~

Wow. Well, there it is people: Zephyr's final appearance. Now, now, you didn't _actually think I would split up my favorite couple, now did you? No! The VL likes having Zephyr and Riku together. And she is also thinking of, __perhaps, making more stories with Zephyr in them… what do you think? Yes? No? Maybe so? Review and tell me, por favor._

Ah, and now for some credits (just imagine them scrolling up your screen like they do at the end of movies!):

Characters (with exception of Zephyr): Squaresoft®

Zephyr's design: the Vulpes Lapis

Stories: the Vulpes Lapis

Title: _A Day Without Rain,_ by Enya

A special thanks to:

-All of those who have been there since the beginning and kept reviewing—

SilverHope

MeowMix

JaguarKitty2006

Snowri Leonheart

Ellyrianna

Star-Lancer

Annjirka (Gonna Be Famous)

-All who gave me ideas when I needed them.

-My friend Bei, who told me I could do this, and who lets me pick on him.

-You, for you are bothering to read my story now. Muchas gracias, amigo.

Also thanks to Keiko, who was great to talk to and also did some really good pics of Zephyr!

_Sing in me,_

_O Muse,_

_And through me tell the tale…                                _


End file.
